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Child Marriage Still a Sad Reality in Lebanon
In most developed countries around the world, child marriage is – for obvious reasons – illegal. In Lebanon though, it is not.
Yes, it’s 2017, and yes, it is legal to marry a 17 year old, a 16 year old, a 15 year old, and so on. You can also rape them, you can impregnate them, you can steal their childhoods, and come out on top.
Image via alaraby.co.uk
Lebanese law is a little ambiguous regarding the matter of child marriage, and there is no common minimum age when it comes to marriage for girls and women, but different religious communities have personal status laws that govern such legal procedures. Please note that while the legal age is 15-years with the parent’s consent, there are many instances of 9-14 year olds being forced into marriage throughout the country.
While it’s not a prevalent occurrence in the city of Beirut, child marriage is still a major issue in Lebanon as a whole. Many families marry off their underage daughters with no consideration for their rights, using the excuse that marrying them will “keep them from getting into trouble”. This is also a major issue amongst Syrian refugees, where destitute families are marrying their daughters off in the hopes that a man will be able to provide for the family financially.
The men that are marrying these young girls are just as abusive and backward-thinking as their families. What kind of grown man do you have to be to be sexually attracted to a 14-year old girl?
UNICEF has dedicated millions of dollars and resources towards the protection of children and the prevention of marriage amongst minors, but still, degenerate attitudes prevail throughout a country that is, in many circumstances, starved of education and evolution.
Just imagine a 14-year-old child bride. While people her age are learning at school, playing with toys, and obsessing over the latest teen trends, she is expected to keep a home and tend to someone’s sexual needs; she’s expected to be a wife by duty, not by choice.
It’s important to remember that this article, and merely speaking about the issue will not change anything. It will, however, help create awareness about the issue at hand so that, in turn and in time, we can hopefully work to change attitudes regarding children’s’ rights in Lebanon. It is our duty as Lebanese people to help defend the defenseless in order to create laws that make it very difficult for people who impose their criminal attitudes upon their young daughters.