Girls opposing early marriage
In Georgia at the beginning of October, a 14-year-old girl was killed by her so-called husband. The girl fell victim to a harmful tradition – illegal early marriage. This is how Muslim Meskhetians used to marry in the past.
Ainur and Ia Kamalovs were the first girls from their village to graduate from school and then college. Their mother also wanted to study, but she was only able to finish sixth grade. However, she made her daughters an example for the girls of her neighborhood. Since then, girls here have started to think about studies and work, and there are no more cases of early marriage in the repatriated Meskhi ethnic group.
These people were evicted from South Georgia in 1944. A small number of them returned after 50 years. About 40 Meskhi families live in Ianeti village of Samtredia municipality.
The letter says that many good things have happened here in recent years, but there are also many problems: the repatriated Meskhetians live in isolation, their unfinished school building is in disarray. There is no municipal transport, kindergarten, playground for children, square. The settlement has no beauty salon, pharmacy, shop.
People here cite numerous unpleasant examples from their lives, how they are laughed at when they go into a store and cannot speak Georgian properly, how their long dresses and headscarves are looked at with hatred, how they are called “Turks, Tatars”.
The letter discusses many issues, but the main focus is still on girls: “It took years and a lot of work (by the school, non-governmental organizations, government structures) to prevent parents from marrying their children off early … Girls also realized that it is good to study, have a profession, have their own income … They want a different, better life than their mothers.”
The letter was published by the highly-rated news portal www.momsedu.ge – a space created by women for women.
About the Author
Lali Shengelia is an internally displaced person from Abkhazia who currently lives in Kutaisi, Georgia. With an impressive 40 years of journalistic practice, her career has evolved from the Soviet press to contributions to national independent media. She is currently the editor of the information department of the NGO Women’s Fund Sukhumi and a human rights advocate and trainer. She also runs the blog Women from Ukraine. Lali, who has a husband, three children and two grandchildren, fearlessly tackles challenges, embraces innovation, enjoys numerous hobbies and deeply values her life.