Egypt partners with Google to promote 'unmatched diversity' tourism campaign    Golf Festival in Cairo to mark Arab Golf Federation's 50th anniversary    Taiwan GDP surges on tech demand    World Bank: Global commodity prices to fall 17% by '26    Germany among EU's priciest labour markets – official data    UNFPA Egypt, Bayer sign agreement to promote reproductive health    Egypt to boost marine protection with new tech partnership    France's harmonised inflation eases slightly in April    Eygpt's El-Sherbiny directs new cities to brace for adverse weather    CBE governor meets Beijing delegation to discuss economic, financial cooperation    Egypt's investment authority GAFI hosts forum with China to link business, innovation leaders    Cabinet approves establishment of national medical tourism council to boost healthcare sector    Egypt's Gypto Pharma, US Dawa Pharmaceuticals sign strategic alliance    Egypt's Foreign Minister calls new Somali counterpart, reaffirms support    "5,000 Years of Civilizational Dialogue" theme for Korea-Egypt 30th anniversary event    Egypt's Al-Sisi, Angola's Lourenço discuss ties, African security in Cairo talks    Egypt's Al-Mashat urges lower borrowing costs, more debt swaps at UN forum    Two new recycling projects launched in Egypt with EGP 1.7bn investment    Egypt's ambassador to Palestine congratulates Al-Sheikh on new senior state role    Egypt pleads before ICJ over Israel's obligations in occupied Palestine    Sudan conflict, bilateral ties dominate talks between Al-Sisi, Al-Burhan in Cairo    Cairo's Madinaty and Katameya Dunes Golf Courses set to host 2025 Pan Arab Golf Championship from May 7-10    Egypt's Ministry of Health launches trachoma elimination campaign in 7 governorates    EHA explores strategic partnership with Türkiye's Modest Group    Between Women Filmmakers' Caravan opens 5th round of Film Consultancy Programme for Arab filmmakers    Fourth Cairo Photo Week set for May, expanding across 14 Downtown locations    Egypt's PM follows up on Julius Nyerere dam project in Tanzania    Ancient military commander's tomb unearthed in Ismailia    Egypt's FM inspects Julius Nyerere Dam project in Tanzania    Egypt's FM praises ties with Tanzania    Egypt to host global celebration for Grand Egyptian Museum opening on July 3    Ancient Egyptian royal tomb unearthed in Sohag    Egypt hosts World Aquatics Open Water Swimming World Cup in Somabay for 3rd consecutive year    Egyptian Minister praises Nile Basin consultations, voices GERD concerns    Paris Olympic gold '24 medals hit record value    A minute of silence for Egyptian sports    Russia says it's in sync with US, China, Pakistan on Taliban    It's a bit frustrating to draw at home: Real Madrid keeper after Villarreal game    Shoukry reviews with Guterres Egypt's efforts to achieve SDGs, promote human rights    Sudan says countries must cooperate on vaccines    Johnson & Johnson: Second shot boosts antibodies and protection against COVID-19    Egypt to tax bloggers, YouTubers    Egypt's FM asserts importance of stability in Libya, holding elections as scheduled    We mustn't lose touch: Muller after Bayern win in Bundesliga    Egypt records 36 new deaths from Covid-19, highest since mid June    Egypt sells $3 bln US-dollar dominated eurobonds    Gamal Hanafy's ceramic exhibition at Gezira Arts Centre is a must go    Italian Institute Director Davide Scalmani presents activities of the Cairo Institute for ITALIANA.IT platform    







Thank you for reporting!
This image will be automatically disabled when it gets reported by several people.



Child Marriages Form 15% of All Marriages in Egypt
Published in Amwal Al Ghad on 02 - 08 - 2015

Fifteen percent of all marriages in Egypt are child marriages, announced Egypt's Minister of Population Hala Youssef on Thursday.
Despite Egypt changing the legal age of marriage to 18 in 2008, child marriage continues across the country and particularly in underprivileged areas, said Youssef.
According to a study published by the National Council for Women in 2013, 22 percent of girls are married before the age of eighteen.
Following the new revelations, Egypt's Population Minister announced that the government, in cooperation with the Central Agency for Public Mobilization and Statistics (CAPMAS), would commence a new study that would determine the scale of child marriages in Giza, Assuit, Sohag and Sharqia.
Minister Youssef said that this move would allow the state to effectively tackle child marriages, particularly since child marriages impede women's and children's rights.
Abuse
According to a 2001 study, 29 percent of married children have been beaten by their husbands (or others) and of these children, 41 percent have been beaten during pregnancy. A more recent study in 2014 by the American University in Cairo's Social Research Center, in partnership with the Ford Foundation, found that 27 percent of women married before the age of 18 had been physically abused by their husbands.
Moreover, early marriage is detrimental to a child's education. According to Plan, "exposing young girls to marriage has a very negative impact on their physical and psychological health. It reduces their chances to complete an education and negatively impacts their ability to participate at the economic and social levels."
In studies, UNICEF agrees, finding that "healthy, educated and empowered women are more likely to have healthy, educated and confident children."
‘Sold' for sex
Egyptian girls are often married off temporarily in exchange for a sum that is often arranged by the parents and the temporary husband.
According to the 2015 Trafficking in Persons Report, individuals from the Gulf "purchase Egyptian women and girls for ‘temporary' or ‘summer' marriages for the purpose of prostitution or forced labor; these arrangements are often facilitated by the victims' parents and marriage brokers, who profit from the transaction."
One of the common ways to ‘sell girls' for temporary marriages is through ‘marriage brokers'. Marriage brokers take girls as young as 11 from underprivileged Egyptian villages to wealthy Arab visitors. A one day ‘pleasure marriage' can be arranged for as little as EGP 800 ($US 100). The sum is then split between the child's parents and the marriage broker.
Summer marriages, however, have become more common and can be arranged for costs ranging from EGP 20,000 ($US 2,500) to EGP 70,000 ($US 90,000).
In a 2013 statement, Egypt's Child Anti-Trafficking Unit at the National Council for Childhood and Motherhood condemned child marriages as prostitution. According to Al-Arabiya, the Director of the Unit said that some girls had been married 60 times by the time they turn 18.
Source: Egyptian Streets


Clic here to read the story from its source.