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Arabia |
Saudi rights body seeks divorce for child bride |
2010-02-09 |
![]() Saudi Arabia has no minimum legal age for marriage. Fathers are granted guardianship over their daughters, giving them control over who their daughters marry and when. The girl from Buraidah, a town near the capital Riyadh, was married to her father's elderly cousin late last year for bridal money of 85,000 riyals ($22,670), her lawyer Sultan bin Zahim told Reuters. Activists see the divorce proceedings as a test case that could pave the way for introducing a minimum age for marriage in the world's largest oil exporter. The child's mother had earlier filed for divorce on her daughter's behalf but withdrew without giving a reason after a second court hearing in early February, bin Zahim said. |
Posted by:Fred |