NGO rescues refugee girls from child marriages

Dubai - Care aims to find sustainable lives for people who are most vulnerable to hunger, violence and disease.

A young Syrian refugee girl in Jordan was about to be married off at just the age of 13, by her parents. Facing a dire economic situation, her parents thought getting her married early was the best option, as they would have less mouths to feed.
Fortunately, a humanitarian organisation, Care, came to her rescue. Headquartered in the US, Care learned about Riham's story and was able to enroll her in a conditional-cash for education programme, delaying her marriage so she could stay in school.
Her family now receives $100 (Dh365) each month during the school year to meet their needs, and Riham is now an activist against early marriage at school.
Care has stepped in to help many such Syrian refugee girls in similar positions as Riham.
The organisation operates in 94 countries, including the UAE, and reaches more than 80 million people through nearly 1,000 life-saving projects. Care aims to find sustainable lives for people who are most vulnerable to hunger, violence and disease.
Speaking to Khaleej Times, Widad Tamimi, case manager at Care Jordan, shed light on the current child marriage problem among Syrian refugees and how Care is addressing this major issue, particularly in Syrian refugee camps based in Jordan.
Key priorities
"One of our key priorities is to learn what gives rise to child marriage. As we learn what leads people to marry their daughters (and sons) as children, we can address those causes to stop child marriage. Digging up its roots help us replant the future for millions of girls around the world," Tamimi said.
"Life is difficult for displaced families. Parents struggle to provide for their children and fear for their safety - particularly sexual violence against girls, abduction, rape, and assaults, especially in a camp setting. Sometimes families push their daughters into early marriage as a means of protection, while providing them with a level of financial stability."
Tamimi said that parents also worry about an alarming future with little social and economic security. She said this is particularly the case for those of a modest socioeconomic status, basic education and often from rural or agricultural settings.
"Sometimes there are barriers to girls' education, particularly for Syrian refugees. The costs of attending school - including books, uniforms and transportation - make education unaffordable," Tamimi added.
There is also an inconsistent implementation of regulations and legislation to protect girls against child marriage, according to Tamimi, and early marriages often go undocumented. The Syrian refugee crisis has made child marriage "increasingly common", especially for girls from poor families who are married off for income, legal status or perceived protection.
However, Care is working towards reducing the risk of early marriage and helping girls who have already been married off as child brides. They aim to enable women and girls to lead healthy and empowered lives.
"By 2022, Care aims to impact one million girls and young women and their families in the MENA region and the Caucasus (Egypt, Lebanon, Syria, Jordan, Yemen, Turkey, Georgia, Armenia and Azerbaijan) through the provision of alternative options to child marriage. The target group includes both girls and young women at risk of child marriage and those who are already married. Our vision is that girls, married or unmarried, realise their rights of choice, health, economic security, information, sexuality and a life free of violence," Tamimi said.
It's a reality, child marriages are rising
Widad Tamimi said that the figures for early marriage may be much higher than actually reported, as people often do not want to report the case or there are limited means of trying to obtain the relevant data.
"Child marriage is a reality for Syrian girls in refugee communities in Jordan, Lebanon, Iraq and Turkey. There have been studies indicating that child marriage in Jordan showed an increase over time. In 2011, 12 per cent of registered marriages involved a girl under the age of 18. This figure rose to 18 per centin 2012, 25 per cent in 2013 and 32 per cent in early 2014," she said.
"Personally, I expect a continuous decrease in the percentage of the child marriage as people really want their children, their daughters, to have access to education and a better future."
sarwat@khaleejtimes.com
 

• UAE