“I no longer think about marriage.”

Nujood Ali, a 10-year-old Yemen girl, was recently quoted saying this in Time. It’s a pretty normal quote for a 10-year-old since they tend to think boys have cooties. But this girl has already been married and divorced.

Nujood was part of an arranged marriage to a man three times her age. The man promised Nujood’s father he would not have sexual relations with her until she was 20. Well, he lied through his teeth, and routinely raped and beat her.

Nujood turned to her parents for help after two months of ‘marriage,’ but they said they couldn’t do anything because she belonged to her husband now. I understand their culture views marriage and women’s rights differently, but this is outrageous. How can you know your daughter is being abused and not do something? As a child, how would that make you feel?

Nujood finally escaped and ran to a court house where she demanded a divorce. The court officials couldn’t believe she was married. Nujood was officially divorced last April and is now the youngest divorcee. And her ex-husband? He was not prosecuted but instead received $200 for his loss, which is one of the most backward things I have ever heard.

It is a human rights tragedy that these young girls are subjected to this torture – Nujood’s word, not mine – and something must be done to let Middle East children be children. Her dolls should be getting married, not her.