Child marriage raises controversy once again in Egypt

Culture

Ibrahim Ayyad

Jan 16, 2023

Young Lebanese girls disguised as brides hold a placard as they participate in a march against marriage before the age of 18, in the capital Beirut on March 2, 2019. The placard in Arabic reads "The end of child marriage begins by educating them". (ANWAR AMRO/AFP via Getty Images) — Young Lebanese girls disguised as brides hold a placard — that reads in Arabic, "The end of child marriage begins by educating them" — as they participate in a march against marriage before the age of 18, Beirut, Lebanon, March 2, 2019. — Anwar Amro/AFP via Getty Images

CAIRO — The recent announcement of two children — a 10-year-old girl and a 12-year-old boy — getting engaged has renewed the debate about child marriage in Egypt.

The news of the engagement in a village in Sharqia governorate emerged in December, including photos of the two children at the ceremony. While the family insisted the engagement was part of a "tradition" aimed at unifying the families, and that the wedding would only take place after they had reached legal marriage age, it sparked an outcry over the all-too-common custom of child marriage in the country.

The National Council for Childhood and Motherhood (NCCM) condemned the incident and vowed to end the engagement of the two children.

“The necessary measures were taken to ensure the protection of the two children from these harmful practices,” the council’s Secretary-General Nevine Othman said in the statement.

Child marriage raises controversy once again in Egypt

Child marriage is in the public spotlight again in Egypt, after two children were engaged in Sharqia governorate in northern Egypt.

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