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Reem Al Numery

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Reem Al Numery
ريم النميري
Reem Al Numery in 2009
Born(1996-01-01)January 1, 1996
OccupationChildren's rights activist
Known forResistance to child marriage
Notable workListed in Time's 100 Most Influential People (2010)
AwardsInternational Women of Courage Award (2009)

Reem Al Numery (Arabic: ريم النميري; born 1996) is a children's rights activist[dubiousdiscuss] in Yemen. Known for resisting child marriage, she was honored by U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton on March 11, 2009, with the International Women of Courage Award.[1] She was listed in the Time Magazine 2010 100 Most Influential People in the World.[2]

At age 12, at the end of her school year, Al Numery was forced to marry her 30-year-old cousin. She refused, and was bound and gagged by her father for the ceremony. She described to the U.S. Consul how her husband raped her in order to consummate the marriage.[3]

After two attempts at suicide and a great deal of international attention she was finally granted a divorce by a Yemeni judge. As of 2010 Al Numery lived with her mother.[4]

References

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  1. ^ "Speech in Honor of International Women's Day". Embassy of the United States - Yemen. 8 March 2010. Archived from the original on 5 April 2015. Retrieved 6 August 2015.
  2. ^ "The 2010 Time 100". Time. 2010-04-29. Archived from the original on May 2, 2010.
  3. ^ "Child Bride Fights Against Forced Marriage". America.gov. March 6, 2009. Archived from the original on 12 March 2009. Retrieved 29 April 2010.
  4. ^ Steinem, Gloria (April 29, 2010). "Reem Al Numery". Time. Archived from the original on May 2, 2010. Retrieved 29 April 2010.