When I look back at my childhood days, I’m filled with pleasant memories of innocent fun and basking in immense pampering. My Parents loved me, protected me, supported me, gave me good education, allowed me to think and take...
Afghanistan has many traditions that allow families to marry their daughters at young ages without their consent. For example, there is a tradition in some provinces that allows families to engage two children even before their birth. Called Naami...
Early marriage has many negative effects on families, but unfortunately most of the negative effects apply to the young girl’s life. Young girls face various physical and mental problems due to early marriage because they don’t have the experience...
One afternoon after Fershta and her sisters returned home from school, their father told them he had decided to sell them, one by one, by having them engaged to be married. The family’s economic situation was very bad so...
Several years ago in Pakistan in 2002, I taught fourth grade at a school in an Afghan camp. The school was supported by a German organization called GTZ. For several years before that I ran a project in Khyber...
I was sixteen years old. In my mind I could hear: “Tonight commotion is in my mind, tonight light is in my heart”—the song by Iranian singer Shakila who I loved listening to. Every evening, the nightingales in the...
There is always news about Afghanistan on the Yahoo site and recently when I checked the site, a light blue title caught my attention. The news was about a six-year-old Afghan girl who was going to have to marry...
This post originally appeared at Nirmukta on FtB. Nirmukta is an organization dedicated to promoting Science, Freethought and Secular Humanism in India. “When are you going to start saving? Don’t forget there’s a girl growing up in the house..”,...
Evidence shows that the consequences of early marriages are significantly harmful. Not only does it affect the girls personally, physically and psychologically, as well as any children they might have, but it also has a heavy impact on the...
Youth today is the voice of this nation; they are the face of tomorrow. The exposure they have to the entire world and the kind of mindset they adorn makes then the bright future of India tomorrow. Youth today...