Child Marriage in the Middle EastChild marriage is a global problem that affects young girls from the ages of 18 to the youngest age of 10. High povery rates, social structure, and male hierarchy can increase the outcome of child marriage in a region, such as the Middle East. Girls turned into brides are exposed to abuse, sexual diseases, and increase the risk of ma-ternal mortality rates. There are ways to help these children from suffrage and allow these young girls to live their lives freely.

Age of girls Mortality ratesYounger mothers create greater health risks for both maternal and child mortality rates.

5 60% of children married before 18 in 2013

Afghanistan

57 Iran

37 Iraq

25

Syria

18

Saudi Arabia

15

Yemen 32

Egypt

17

Lebanon

6 Palestine

9

Jordan

10

Above, two Yemen girls, 8 years old, are just married to these 27 year old men.

1516

1516

10

13

16

18

12

18

1516

15 1514

Common Age to MarryLegal Age to Marry

2013

Below shows how young girls are marrying before the legal age in 2013.

13

1818

Afghanistan Egypt Iran Iraq Jordan Lebanon PalestineSaudi Arabia Syria Yemen

By: Justina Coronel Sources: UNICEF.org, PRB.org, ICRW.org, WorldBank.org

0 50 100 150 200 250 300 350 400 Maternal Rates (MR) Per 100,000 Live Births 2013

AfghanistanCR: 97MR: 400

Egypt

Iraq

Jordan

Lebanon, CR: 9, MR: 16

Palestine

Syria

Yemen

Saudi Arabia

Iran

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

100

Chi

ld R

ates

(CR)

Per

100

,000

Liv

e Bi

rths

AfghanistanEgyptIranIraqJordanLebanonPalestineSaui ArabiaSyria Yemen 75

40

33

16

20

16

77

31

56

60

How to help

1214

% of girls uneducated

Education is the key factor in helping these girls.It is estimated that one year of female schooling reduces fertility rates by 10 percent. There are multiple organizations, such as Girls Not Brides, in hopes to end this epidemic. Joining today and spreading the word will increase the chances to end girls becominforced wives.