Yemeni Ex-Wife and Author is Just 12 Years Old
It has now been two years since 12-year-old Nujood Ali ended her marriage to her husband—a man in his 30s—and now the girl has achieved fame around the globe for her bold actions.
The case, heard in a courthouse in Sanaa, Yemen, brought attention to then 10-year-old Ali and the culture of child brides in the country. At the time, the case caused much stress for Ali and her family, making them the center of the debate on tradition and culture in Yemen.
A whirlwind of controversy surrounded Ali’s divorce case, according to CNN, and for the reporter to even get a pre-arranged interview was quite a feat. By demanding a divorce from her 30-something husband, Ali threw her nation into somewhat of a frenzy—breaking the traditional mold of Yemen’s culture.
At age 10, Ali exuded the essence of a child in every way—from her laugh and smile to her childish mannerisms that any girl her age should possess. CNN reporters found during their interview that there was another side to the girl entirely.
In her marriage to a man more than 20 years her senior, Ali had been abused and threatened—but she was no quitter and she fought for, even demanded a divorce so she could win back her childhood that had been ripped away by an early marriage.
Ali’s divorce case caught the world’s attention, and media from several countries covered the story. In August of 2009, CNN reporters once again interviewed Ali—this time to find a more mature young woman on the other side of the table, but one who didn’t seem much happier than she had two years before.
Many supporters of Ali and her family donated money to send the girl to private school and help her family survive, but according to Ali, the money hasn’t helped anything and she even stated that she wished she had never opened up to world media.
According to the CNN report, the girl’s fame has caused even more strife in her family because family members believe they should be living on wealth that Ali’s story should bring, but they aren’t and it continues to make her life very stressful.
A recent article from the Los Angeles Times reports that Ali is now doing much better. She has since co-authored a book with French journalist Delphine Minoui, and the profits from the book are helping pay for the Ali family’s home and schooling.
The book, titled “I Am Nujood, Age 10 and Divorced,” is available on Amazon.com. The girl’s full true story may put a new perspective on divorce in America.