Most of us know that life for women—and girls—in many countries is extremely restricted, whether because of their society’s culture, poverty, or both. But it’s one thing to know that in the abstract, and another to see exactly how those things directly and irrevocably affect young women and girls.

The video below shows how some girls (12 and even younger) in Yemen are treated like cash-money for their indebted parents—sold off to much older men as wives for their dowry, which is used by their families to pay off debts. The psychological and physical ramifications (really interesting detail here about how these girls’ bodies are at risk during pregnancy) are felt for the rest of these child bride’s lives.

Want to do something about the issue of child marriage? Check out Human Rights Watch’s page on the subject and sign their petition encouraging the Yemeni government to pass laws for 18 to be the minimum age of marriage. 

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Geena Davis is a Total Badass: Proof that Women Over 50 Are Awesome (video)

Facing Fear: National Geographic Photographer Teaches Us How in Scary Encounter with Leopard Seal (video) 

The post “I Married Both My Daughters Off to Pay My Debts”: A Simple, Shocking Reason for Child Marriage (Video) appeared first on EcoSalon.