Fatima,
child bride
using social media
to fight for other
girls and women
Fatima, 18, has two great passions in life. She loves designing fashion – a talent that has seen her drawings displayed in Turkey. But, even more important to her, is the fight for women and girls’ rights. Even though it’s extremely dangerous in her culture, Fatimah speaks out against child marriage and the importance of girls completing their education. Just like any teen, her go-to platforms are Facebook and Instagram, where she connects with other young women to support them and give them tools to find help in abusive situations.
Sadly, Fatima’s passion is born from her first-hand experience. She was just 14 when she was married soon afterward had a child herself.
From a young age, life has been hard on her. As a resident of Aleppo, her family was among the first to flee the deadly conflict in Syria in 2011. She’s now spent a decade--more than half her young life as a refugee. Settling into Jordan was difficult. Then, a few years later, she lost her beloved father.
In desperation, Fatima's mother saw only one solution. “My mother was forced to marry me to my cousin so he could take care of us and provide for us,” she says.
From bad to worse
Instead of getting better, life Fatima grew even harder. She was forced to leave school and didn’t know what was expected of her as a wife. A year into the marriage she tried to separate from her husband but her relatives wouldn’t allow it and insisted she return to him. Shortly after, Fatimah got pregnant and gave birth to her first child. She was on the verge of losing all hope.
Things began to turn around for Fatima when a friend told her about a World Vision Support Centre that offers women and girls psychological support and education sessions. The Centre also helps young refugees improve their social and professional skills. “I visited the Centre to see what services were provided and registered in the young mothers’ club. It was a good experience. I learned many things that strengthened my self-confidence,” Fatimah says. "I learned new communication skills that improved the relationships in my family a lot.”
Eventually, she also able to go back to school to continue her education.
Emad, a case worker at the Centre, guides Fatima through the programme. She explains that it was Fatima’s idea to engage with other women and girls to put a stop to child marriage. “She wanted to send out a message to women who had an experience similar to her own," she explains.
Harnessing the power of technology
Fatima realised that social media groups were a great way to spread the word and reach girls not just from Syria, but all over the world. In the groups, she warns girls and young women about following traditions and customs that encourage child marriage and discusses the impacts of child marriage- from dropping out of school to teenage pregnancies and beyond.
If Fatima ran the world for just one day, she would make it a safer and more peaceful place for girls and women. “I know I would not be able to change everything in one day, but I would do two things: firstly, I would end wars all over the world, then I would enact new laws for women, laws such as those prohibiting marriage of a female under 18 years of age.”
And, to those who are watching her, she has this message: “Help us to end war in Syria, help us to end the tragedy of the Syrian woman, especially under these difficult times, in the times of COVID-19 and the violence against women,” she says!
Over the past 10 years, World Vision has reached nearly 6.5 million children impacted by the conflict in Syria.
Learn more about the work that World Vision is doing in Lebanon, Jordan, Turkey and Syria to help children and their families displaced by the decade-old conflict in Syria.
