Saudi Arabia Rewrites Marriage Contracts to Protect Girls

Progress comes in many ways, shapes and forms… As you may have heard, Saudi Arabia has taken the bold step of issuing new marriage contracts state the bride-to-be’s age. The aim is to curb underage marriage.

I read an interesting article on the subject at BBC Online. It talks about Saudi Arabia’s new promise, which has been catalysed  following a number of high-profile cases.

Clear Cut Rules

The BBC reports on how Human Rights groups have applauded the new Saudi legislation, as a way to help protect underage girls. The new measures are groundbreaking and the first steps to outlawing child marriage in the kingdom. National Society for Human Rights chairman Mufleh Al-Qahtani embraces the new decision:

“The marriage of underage girls has been in the limelight for the past three years. A number of lawsuits have also been filed to stop fathers marrying off their underage girls to older men.” He said.

Changing Time and Tide

Saudi Arabia practices strict Sunni Islam, forbidding free contact between the genders and giving fathers the right to choose whom their sons and daughters marry.

Now it seems, that the first moves towards significant change are being made, as one Saudi government official told Saudi-based Arab News newspaper:

“There is a serious drive by the [justice] ministry to determine an age for girls to marry following the recent reporting of older men marrying young girls,” the official said.

Family Matters

Defenders of child marriage say the practice forms part of Saudi culture, and the Guardian raises the crucial matter of dowries in the decision making process.

It cites a case from February this year in which a 12-year-old girl decided to stay married to an 80-year-old man, after initially filing for divorce. Her father had received a $22,600 (£14,174) dowry just months before.

Good on the Saudi Government for taking the steps to make such marriages a thing of the past.