Child Brides

Child Refugees

We meet the refugee girls who fled with their families from Syria to the Zaatari refugee camp in neighbouring Jordan. Many are being forced to marry very young by their parents who believe an older husband will take better care of them.

Omaymah is 15 years old and lives in Zaatari refugee camp in Jordan. Her family fled from their home in Syria four years ago when it was no longer safe to stay. Omaymah studies hard and wants to be a human rights lawyer.

Omaymah says: “I love school, my favourite subject is English. A girl’s weapon is education and she shouldn’t leave. If she leaves she won’t have a weapon to defend herself in the future. Men can work with whatever they want but girls can’t, that’s why the degree is every girl’s weapon.

“I used to come home from school, get changed, and then go around the caravans and houses advising the girls who don’t go to school that they should go to school and warn them about the dangers of early marriage. If her parents don’t allow it, we try talking to the parents, too.

“When a girl gets married at an early age, she won’t have a chance to get an education. She will be deprived from her friends at school, she will see girls her age go to school but she won’t. It will affect her.

“Early marriage takes her opportunity to learn and live away. I remember once that a friend of mine, her name was Esraa, was forced to get married. We didn’t see her again after that.”

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Topics: Child Brides Jordan Syria