Father, My Sister is a child, please do not Marry Her

  Written by: Wajiha Sayar

Usman and Naheeda are in the yard of the castle. Naheeda looks sad. Usman asks the reason. Naheeda says that she is sad for her small sister, Palwasha’s classmate, Fatima. Usman asks about Fatima. Palwasha says that Fatima’s father engaged her to a boy.

Lalo Mama comes and welcomes his guests. Lalo Mama asks that why Naheeda seems sad. Usman says that she is sad for the engagement of a small girl, Fatima with a boy.

Lalo Mama takes them to the castle and then he opens a window for them.

Window:

In the window, the reporter of the castle says that according to Afghanistan’s law, those whose ages are under 18, are called children and the parents are not allowed to marry them but some people break the rule.

 The reporter talks to some girls about the problems of child marriage.

Farida says: “we are 8 sisters and 4 brothers. My father married one of my sisters to a boy when she was 16 years old. She faced many problems at her husband’s house. Her husband’s family wants her to bake bread in the oven but she could not, and her mother-in-law insists her to get pregnant.”

Lalo Mama closes the window.

Naheeda says that it is the responsibility of fathers to prevent child marriage.                             

Lalo Mama says that brothers also could prevent child marriage and then he opens another window for their more information.

Window:

In the window, a father has decided to engage her small daughter, Maliha with a boy. Maliha enters a room, closes the door and wants to burn herself.

Her sister, Adila and her mother are crying and trying to open the door and rescue Maliha but they could not. Adila’s brother, Sameer comes and asks about the issue. Adila tells him the whole story.

Sameer promises Maliha that he would solve the issue very soon.

Sameer goes to the court and shares the issue with the judge. The judge summons Maliha’s father to the court, and says to him that children under the age of 18 are called children and parents have to let them study not marry. The judge adds that child marriage is not allowed in the law of Afghanistan and those who force their small daughter to marriage, are called guilty.

Maliha’s father accepts what the judge says and he denies her daughter engagement.

Lalo Mama closes this window too. Usman promises that he would talk to Fatima’s brother to prevent his sister engagement.