Noora Al Shami, only 11 years old at the time, found herself in adult attire at a family celebration, unaware of the harrowing experience awaiting her later that night when her 35-year-old cousin, who would become her husband, subjected her to sexual assault.
In Yemen’s Al Hudaydah port city, young Noora enjoyed wearing “three beautiful dresses” during the festivities, only to be ensnared in a cycle of sexual abuse by Mohammed Al Ahdam.
The innocent act of dressing up for Noora turned into a grim foreshadowing of the torment she was about to endure. Reflecting on her past, Noora, now 47, shared with The Guardian how she was permitted to adorn herself with adult clothing, jewelry, and gifts, never anticipating the brutality she would face.
The initial instance of abuse, where Al Ahdam exposed himself to Noora, led her to flee. However, after ten days, pressure from Al Ahdam’s sisters and accusations of dishonoring their brother coerced Noora into a devastating situation.
Following the distressing incident, Noora was left in a state of shock, and despite seeking medical aid, the abuse persisted as she was legally considered a wife.
Married off to Al Ahdam, a much older distant cousin, at the age of 11 in 1989, Noora described the marriage as a license for her husband’s depraved behavior due to the significant age gap.
Recent reports by UNICEF in 2021 revealed a staggering 4 million child brides in Yemen, shedding light on the prevalence of such practices. Data from Human Rights Watch in 2006 indicated that 14% of Yemeni girls were married before turning 15, with over half of them wed before reaching 18.
The tradition of marrying off daughters to alleviate financial burdens persists, often overshadowing the protection of young girls under Islamic law.
Noora’s journey included enduring two miscarriages within a year, giving birth to her son Ihab at 13, followed by daughter Ahlam at 14 and son Shihab at 15, each pregnancy fraught with complications.
Despite enduring a decade of torment, Noora found solace in a support program by Oxfam and the Yemeni Women’s Union, empowering her to initiate divorce proceedings and fight for financial stability to raise her children.
Through unwavering resilience, Noora rekindled her education, became a qualified teacher, and now advocates ardently for stricter regulations against child marriage, emphasizing the need for substantial cultural shifts beyond legal reforms.
Noora’s determination to break free from the past echoes a broader call for societal transformation to safeguard children from enduring similar fates, transcending mere legislative changes.
While efforts persist to elevate the legal marriage age from 15 to 18, the enduring scars, both physical and emotional, underscore the enduring challenges, especially in the face of resistance from Yemeni clerics and cultural norms.
Despite ongoing advocacy, statistics from Girls Not Brides indicate that 30% of Yemeni girls marry before 18, with 7% wed before turning 15, illustrating the persisting struggle against early marriages.
If the content has triggered any emotions, support is available through SARSAS at info@sarsas. org.uk or guidance from the NHS on coping with the aftermath of rape or sexual assault.
