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© Sarah Malian 2009

The wedding photo of Najibé, a child bride at the age of 13. Her family’s poor economic situation meant they felt compelled to marry her as soon as her fiancé presented them with the dowry. Najibé was taken out of school and is now a carpet weaver and domestic help in her in-laws’ house. ‘I only found out about the wedding five days beforehand,’ she says. ‘I wasn’t ready.’ Perhaps through rights-awareness training the female shura in Housche will eventually prevent other young girls suffering Najibé’s fate.