Nujood Ali wins “Woman of the Year” award

Earlier this year, a newly-wed bride took a taxi to the West Court of Sana’a, Yemen and requested a divorce from the husband she was forced into marrying. Her husband, who was almost three times her age, raped and beat her on an almost daily basis, and the bride decided that she had had enough.

Although tragic, the bride’s story would have gone unnoticed had it not been for her young age; Nojood Ali was only nine years of age.

After hearing about Nojood’s case by chance, Shaza Nasser – one of Yemen’s foremost lawyers and human rights advocate – decided to represent her free of charge. A week later, and in a historic ruling, the ‘marriage’ was annulled.

Nujood’s  tale of suffering and rebellion caused a massive outcry within Yemen and garnered international media attention. Many viewed her as a symbol of oppression and the brutality of patriarchy, but for others, she was a source of inspiration. Following in her footsteps, victims of child marriage have begun speaking out and demanding justice, while activists and governmental officials in Yemen (one of the world’s worst offenders in terms of the prevalence of child marriage) have called for measures to end the practice of early marriage.

In honour of her bravery, and the self-less dedication of her lawyer, Glamour magazine awarded them the “Women of the Year” award, alongside Hilary Clinton, Condoleezza Rice and Jane Goodall and the Nobel Women’s Initiative. At only 10 years of age, Nujood is likely to be the youngest recipient of this award in its 19 year history.

I do not doubt for a minute that Nujood has a great future ahead of her, and that she would contribute actively towards creating change in her society.

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