UNICEF: Early marriage leads to tragedy for a young woman

MARADI, Niger, 29 May 2007 -- Habiba, now 17, lives in a small village in southern Niger's Tibiri region. Married three years ago, she has since endured a tragedy that illustrates some of the worst perils of early marriage.

"I was given in marriage when I turned 14," says Habiba. "At that time I was healthy. I became pregnant one year after the marriage. I was in labour for two days and was transferred to a regional hospital where I had a caesarean. That's when I suffered a fistula."

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[SincereConcern]

@chicaliciosa The girls in these situations do not have a choice between abstinence or sex. Their marriages are decided for them, and therefore their sex life is decided for them. Solutions for them are not to be found in commentaries (such as yours) on supposed morality, but rather, comprehensive sex education, adequate nutrition, and access to healthcare--a good deal of which revolves around addressing global poverty.

[chicaliciosa]

Thank you Unicef for this very Informative video of early marriage. Young girls like myself need to know the risks and effects involved when young girls become mothers at an early age. I hope many teenage girls read see this video and opt for obstinance rather than promiscuity.

[999yullan]

Also, most young men have no idea what a great responsibility having a baby really is. They should

be placed in situations where they are given a chance to actually care for a baby before having any

intimate relationship with a woman. Voluntary help at a nursery would be one big eye opener.

[999yullan]

@SincereConcern

I agree with this commentary. But sex education should begin in a child's formative years when he/she

is the most impressionable. Try when children (boys and girls) are between the age of 9 to

approximately 11. And it would help to replace the stork myth with medical facts when the child

looks into mommy's and daddy's eyes to ask where babies come from.

[mmedefarge]

@SincereConcern The cultural norms have to be changed here too. If they can stop forcing girls to marry at such young ages, many of these problems would be eliminated. Unlike providing health-care, nutrition & education although very important, changing a mindset costs relatively little & the benefits would be immediate.

[pammputta1]

i love the video's but they r too shart

[MadeYouLook1990]

@SaviourSole unicef just says shit, probably forgot to give her access to surgery

[yuripaisita20]

GOD BLESS UNICEF!!!

[SaviourSole]

How did the restorative surgery go? This was posted in 2007 and it is now 2010. Any results?

[ELSOL102]

Child rape. Horrendous.

[izzy2liz]

thank you Unicef