Recent developments in Somalia have revealed widespread outrage after an eight-year-old girl, reported missing for six months, was discovered residing with a man who asserted he had married her. The girl, from Puntland, was declared missing by her family last September. Shockingly, it surfaced that her own father had allegedly consented to her marriage to Sheikh Mahmoud, an adult male.
Outrage Erupts in Somalia Over Child Marriage of Missing Girl
Outrage Erupts in Somalia Over Child Marriage of Missing Girl
A missing eight-year-old girl is found living with a man claiming to be her husband, igniting protests and discussions on child marriage laws in Somalia.
Last week, security forces intervened when Sheikh Mahmoud barricaded himself and the girl in his home. This incident has propelled public anger onto social media and incited protests in Mogadishu, highlighting urgent discussions about child protection and the absence of a legal minimum marriage age in the country. Fadumo Ahmed, of the Somali Women Vision Organisation, expressed concern, emphasizing the seriousness of the abduction claims and the lengthy period the girl's family remained unaware of her fate.
According to her uncle, the girl was initially taken from her family home in Bosaso by a female relative under the pretense of visiting another uncle. A video eventually surfaced, displaying the girl reciting the Quran, which led her family to initiate a search—but the reasons for the delay remain unclear.
Sheikh Mahmoud first contended that he was only educating the girl in the Quran, but later claimed to have married her with the father's approval. His defense relied on interpretations of Islamic traditions that permit early marriage, a claim he stood by despite opposition from various Somali scholars. Following legal challenges, Puntland's police intervened on March 25, returning the girl to her family. An investigation into the incident has commenced.
Child marriage remains a serious issue in Somalia, with a 2020 report detailing that 35% of women aged 20 to 24 were married before turning 18. Factors contributing to the practice include poverty and entrenched customs. Somalia’s ministry of women aimed to tackle the issue by proposing a child rights bill in 2023; however, it faced objections in parliament and is expected to be reintroduced, though a timeline for its passage remains uncertain.
According to her uncle, the girl was initially taken from her family home in Bosaso by a female relative under the pretense of visiting another uncle. A video eventually surfaced, displaying the girl reciting the Quran, which led her family to initiate a search—but the reasons for the delay remain unclear.
Sheikh Mahmoud first contended that he was only educating the girl in the Quran, but later claimed to have married her with the father's approval. His defense relied on interpretations of Islamic traditions that permit early marriage, a claim he stood by despite opposition from various Somali scholars. Following legal challenges, Puntland's police intervened on March 25, returning the girl to her family. An investigation into the incident has commenced.
Child marriage remains a serious issue in Somalia, with a 2020 report detailing that 35% of women aged 20 to 24 were married before turning 18. Factors contributing to the practice include poverty and entrenched customs. Somalia’s ministry of women aimed to tackle the issue by proposing a child rights bill in 2023; however, it faced objections in parliament and is expected to be reintroduced, though a timeline for its passage remains uncertain.
