An Awareness Raising Session Entitled “Child Marriage and Parenting” -Nour Medical Center- Yalda

Within the campaign “Little with big dream”, Nour mobile team organized an awareness raising session entitled “Child marriage and Parenting” under the supervision of a group of facilitators at Nour Medical Center in Yalda.

The session tackled several topics including, the meaning of childhood and definition of Child Marriage and its impact on raising children. It also discussed the ignorant attitudes regarding the conception of childhood and its different stages.

“Child marriage impedes normal physical development of underage girls. Moreover, their incomplete psychological, mental and social maturity affects their health, their personality and the way they raise their children. The inability of a minor mother to take care of her children and meet their basic physical, psychological and emotional needs can lead to a range of psychological problems and complications for children,” said facilitator Suzan Qassam.

One woman shared the story of her neighbor saying: “She found herself carrying a child in her arms at the age of fourteen; she cried with him when he cried.  She did not know what he wanted or how to take care of him, so her mother had to take care of them both.”

It is worth mentioning that NFRD, in coordination with the UNFPA, launched a campaign under the slogan “Little with Big Dreams” to raise awareness on the negative impact of child marriage.