Faktalucka #14 - Aisha och Zainubs berättelser

Aisha, 18 år

THEY are the tragic faces of child marriage; expected to cook, clean, engage in sexual activity and perform any other duty their husbands want. They are beaten and abused for refusing. They were also just 10 years old when they were sold or forced into marriage. While most Australian girls this age are busy being children, child brides Aisha and Zainub (not their real names) were used as a commodity by their husbands and families. Neither girl had any idea of the abuse, rape and desperation that lay ahead when they were married.

Both have spoken exclusively to news.com.au in a bid to highlight the grim reality of being forced to live as a child bride. Here are their stories in their own words as translated by Yasmin Gull, regional manager, Khwendo Kor, Bannu, Pakistan, and transcribed via Amnesty Australia's Sarah Saleh.

Aisha, 18 

I got married when I was just 10. At the time of the marriage, my husband was a school student, just 16 years old".

"My father had a second wife and he had a conflict with them, so he gave me away in order to settle the conflict with the second wife's family. The marriage was arranged by family, it was not a forced marriage - but I was a little girl at the time, I did not know the meaning of marriage and accepted it because I did not know any better".

My husband was really harsh with me because of the fact that I did not know what a marriage was, and what the duties of a wife were. He wanted a sexual relationship but I did not even know what that was at the time, and so he started beating me to get it. My hand was fractured, and also my eyes suffered injuries and were severely affected from the beatings. Very early on in the marriage, I fell pregnant twice. Both children died due to my extremely young age.

No one could help me - everyone remained silent. I guess they thought this is a tradition - that every woman should be beaten by her husband and this is his right to get his demands, to get what he wants. I did not escape - I compromised with him and stayed for the sake of two children we now have (two more, after the first two died).

My children are the reason I have stayed. And my father is old now, I can't hurt him by leaving so I will stay - it's tradition. This is a tradition here in my village (in the Bannu district). Most females get married at 10-12 years old. "What I would say to other young girls in your position is never get married at an early age.

"If you do you will have psychological problems like I do. I don't get to live like other girls my age - and I never will." 

We need financial help, we need centres in this village - where we can be taught skills and work, and earn money for our families so we don't have to be sold as child brides. We also need mental health institutions so people with mental health issues like me can recover.


Zainub, 13 

I got married at 10 - and my husband was 14 at the time.

"My father forced me to get married. I was married early - because we are very poor and my father needed money. As the oldest girl (we are a very poor, very large family of nine children), I was sold off".

I was very innocent at the time, they pressured me into it so I accepted. But I was also very afraid because I did not know anything and definitely did not know the meaning of marriage. I have been very unhappy in this marriage. The only reason my husband's family married their son to me was because they needed a servant - that's all I was to them ... I got no education like other young girls. "

It severely affected my health, and nobody attended to me. His family treated me like a servant and my husband and father in law regularly beat me up. My husband wanted 'sex' from me - but I could not understand what this was, what he wanted ... so he forced himself on me".

And he beat me up for trying to refuse. "I escaped from my in-laws, I called my mother to come here and take me back home to my parents because here I was abused, hit and they treated me badly in every way. I will never go back to my husband's house.

"But we are still married - my in-laws refuse to give me a divorce, until I pay back the dowry - which is too expensive for my family (40,000 rupees - around $400)." 

Please tell my message to other young girls that they should never get married so early, and should complete their education. "This type of marriage at such an early age has a really bad effect on mind and body - and has led to mental health issues."