Ali, Nujood with Delphine Minoui I am Nujood, Age 10 and Divorced
Three Rivers Press see Random House 2010 188p 12.00
12-0007-58967-5 ms/hs E-BN
Nujood Ali has no birth certificate but she has been told she is 10 years old. She loves dolls, chocolate cake and learning how to read. Then one day Nujood was married to a man twice her age. It was then that she learned the true meaning of the word cruelty. Although from a very poor family, Nujood, 5th daughter in an ever increasing family, is very happy playing with her sisters and other playmates. Poverty is very hard for her family but they all help in many different ways. Nujood helps by taking care of the younger children and she is learning how to cook flatbreads and other things. Then her father looses his poorly paid job and they need to resort to begging.
In Yemen women have no voice. Men are in charge of everything including marrying off their daughters. Nujood’s two sisters were barely in their teens before they were married off. Nujood dreamed of her turn but she always imagine that it would be something to celebrate and there would be sweet cakes. Then the day came and it happened so fast, Nujood was dressed in an old brown dress two sizes too big and surrounded by very unfriendly people, she was given in marriage to a nasty looking individual who promised not to touch her for at least two years. No sooner was she taken away to his house was she violated and later beaten.
Nujood decided she wanted a divorce and she also decided she was going to get it as quickly as possible. And so began her trek to the courthouse where she declared her desired to get a divorce and the authorities could not believe that a ten year old was already a married woman.
This story made news and was brought to the attention of the world by Nujood’s lawyer Shada, who worked for women’s rights in Yemen and this story made it possible to start working towards the crime of marrying girls as young as 9 year old to old men. Diaz, Magna
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