The epidemic of child marriage among the refugees from Syria

• The epidemic of child marriage among the refugees from Syria

In recent years, the Syrian refugees who moved to Turkey, give their daughters in marriage very young people. So they are trying to protect them, to give them a new family in exchange bereaved relatives. But the total epidemic of child marriage has spawned a huge number of single mothers.

Photos from Istanbul Ozge Sebzechi went to the Turkish region of Anatolia, which is now home to about 60 thousand Syrian refugees to meet with young brides and show the world their fears and dreams.

Syrian girls are married since 13 years, but these ceremonies are held in secret because of the Turkish official prohibitions. Unfortunately, often these unions last very long and by 15 years the girls are left alone. Ozge admitted that she met while traveling about the same number of married and divorced girls.

Divorce - it's easy, because all I have to do a man, it is 3 times saying "I divorce you." Known law in Sunni Islam. At the same time the girls have no right to compensation or alimony.

In the photo: 15 year old girl who had recently divorced her husband of 20 years. She fled to Turkey when she was 12, and at 14 married. She says she is happy after divorce, because marriage is not ladilsya. The girl left school in the fourth grade, after the start of the war in Syria, but he hopes to continue his education.

Thanks to contacts in Syrian refugee community Ozge able to interview the girls and their mothers, in order to understand the root of the current problem. While many mothers themselves married teenagers, most of them still married at a conscious age - before the start of the war in Syria, the number of child marriages was 4 times lower.

In the photo: an engagement ring and a dress before engagement. As a gift to the celebration of a girl asked for Ozge teddy bear.

The reason that the Syrian families agree to early marriage is very simple - money. So they are trying to ease the financial burden and give the girl in "a better life". As a rule, it is the daughter who died in war fathers Ozge spoke with one of those brides.

If my father was alive, he would never have given permission. But her mother succumbed to pressure from suitors.

In the photo: the wedding dress after the 14-year-old bride and her 18-year-old groom. Ozge was not allowed to photograph the ceremony, but she said that the eyes of the girl was full of emotions. She was scared, embarrassed and could not understand why it has received so much attention. Sometimes she smiled.

In Turkey, you can marry from 18 years or 17 years of age with parental consent. In some cases, you can get married and at age 16, but only by court order. With religious marriage, things are different. As she says Ozge, it is "well-known secret." The Turkish authorities do not intervene in the refugee communities, perceiving early marriage as part of their traditions.

In the photo: the sisters of 15 (on the right) and 13-year-old at home. They are originally from Aleppo and 4 years living in a refugee camp on the border with Syria.

On their wedding Syrian families often invite the Turks, who say that the bride is really too young, but anything it does not do.

One 15-year-old girl went to the hospital to give birth. Police warned her that she would not live with her husband until she is 18, but there is no way to control it. She travels every week to the police station and says that does not live with him, but actually lives.

In the photo: a child 16-year-old girl and her 21-year-old husband is sleeping at home on his first day after the hospital. Due to complications from premature birth, he stayed in the hospital for 3 months. At the time of marriage, the girl was 14.

Ozge photo project came out very mysterious - many girls do not agree to be photographed, because it is a sin, and it was impossible to take pictures of the wedding. Instead, she turned to the metaphors and filmed the girls behind the curtains, which protect them from the camera lens.

The key to the empowerment of Syrian girls - education and learning the Turkish language, they have it, as a rule, do not know. Ozge sure that society should help refugees adapt.

In the photo: 17-year-old girl and her 20-year-old husband has fallen into the mine and who had lost his legs. Now he works in a shop of mobile phones and a shoemaker, happy couple.

The woman who "let" Ozge in the refugee community, considers himself an activist. When she learned that the 12-year-old classmate of her daughter pursues the family, interested in marriage, she said to herself: "No. I'll tell it to reporters. "

In the photo: 17-year-old girl, was married at 14 and soon became pregnant. Her husband left her after 20 days after she gave birth to a daughter. She admits that her husband abused her and she felt better when he left. She struggles to care for the child, she began working as an assistant in a pharmacy. she now gets $ 26 a week.