Reem Al Numery

Reem Al Numery (Arabic: ريم النميري‎) (born 1996) is a children's rights activist 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]

Reem Al Numery in 2009

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. Al Numery lives with her mother.[4]

References
  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.
  3. "Child Bride Fights Against Forced Marriage". America.gov. March 6, 2009. Retrieved 29 April 2010.
  4. Steinem, Gloria (April 29, 2010). "Reem Al Numery". Time. Retrieved 29 April 2010.
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