Doctors and social workers in Ethiopia confirmed that drought is one of the reasons for the rise in forced marriages and violence.
The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) told AFP that child marriage, which is illegal in Ethiopia, more than doubled in the country’s four worst-affected regions in the first six months of 2022 compared to the previous year, reports Al-Rai daily.
The social workers saw that for many desperate families in Ethiopia, marrying off a girl brings two benefits, the first being fewer mouths to feed, and the second being her dowry, which is provided by the husband’s family and helps cover the cost of living.
Bicharo, a pseudonym for her safety, says her dowry was 3,000 birr ($56). “My parents and my husband’s parents agreed on the marriage deal,” she added. I wasn’t aware of it. He came to me before marriage and asked me to marry him, but I refused.”
However, her marriage to a 20-year-old man who was already married and descended from her father’s clan took place despite that, and their relationship witnessed disputes due to the husband’s assault and violence against his life partner.
