In communities where poverty and illiteracy are rife, you invariably see girls under the age of eighteen being married to men often much older. UNCIEF defines marriage under the age of eighteen as child marriage. A survey published by the National Council for Women illustrated that in Egypt the percentage of girls being married before the age eighteen is 22 percent which rises in governorates of Port Said and Fayoum to 38 percent. When families live under dire circumstances, parents often have no choice but to witness their daughters leaving the family home to start their own family. Some girls are as young as eleven when they are promised to a man. And as Egypt sadly continues to struggle with economic strain, many parents resort to sham nuptials which can last as little as a few hours to a few years. “Marriage brokers” can take girls from the age of eleven from villages to rich Arab visitors staying in hotels in the cities of Egypt. A one day “muta’ (or pleasure marriage) can be arranged by the “marriage brokers” for as little as LE800 which is then split between the…
