(Cairo, 20th of July 2020) The fourth episode of ‘Hekayat Nehad’ TV show, which is presented by Nehad Abulkomsan, senior lawyer and ECWR’s chairwoman, addressed the role of al Ma’zun (authorized person to solemnize marriages) in combating child marriage in an episode entitled “Al-Mazun and my Daughter.”
The episode began with a true story about a father who married off his daughter at an early age (before the legal age for marriage), and the Mazun wrote the marriage contract, indicating that it will be documented when the girl completes the legal age for marriage. At that point, the girl became pregnant and problems occurred between her and her husband and wanted to divorce, but the husband refused to divorce, document the marriage and establish the paternity of the child unless she waives all of her financial dues.
Nehad Abulkomsan noted that child marriage entails several legal problems due to the fact that it is considered marriage outside the law with a non-documented customary contract, and thus all the rights of the wife are lost. In the event of disputes, children face great difficulties in establishing paternity, as well as health and social problems and depriving girls the opportunities for education, employment and access to appropriate opportunities.
She also assured the audience of viewers that marriage should not take place under the age of 18 for a girl for any reason, stressing that the age of determining an official marriage is 18 years. It is not in vain, but for the girl in order to be able physically, mentally and emotionally to marry and bear responsibility of caring for children, and this is to enable girls to finish their studies and access job opportunities that protect them from marginalization and violence.
Abulkomsan stated that al Mazun has an important role to play against child marriage because he is trusted by everyone. If he refused to marry the girls before the legal age for marriage, everyone would respond.
The episode showed an infographic about the conditions for appointing Mazuns according to the law.
Nehad advised that Mazuns should have training courses on child marriage and its health and legal effects, so that they are aware of it and know what they might cause if they married girls before the legal age.
In the segment dedicated to “‘Our Lives after Coronavirus’, Abulkomsan assured that life after COVID-19 will differ and the nature of the work will also differ, as most of the work will be done from home. She gave several tips in this context, the most important of which is to rearrange the house so that there is a special part in which to work with an office and a computer, and the importance of the awareness of all family members, especially children, of the importance of work and the value of work schedules even if it is from home. She also touched on rearranging household burdens and dividing them between family members, and the importance of arranging children’s lives during the next study period, especially since that it will mostly be online.
“Hekayat Nehad” (Nehad’s Stories) is a television program concerned with women’s rights through simplifying all knowledge and information produced by civil society related to the empowerment of women in all political, economic, social and legal fields, as well as reducing violence. It includes a simple approach by incorporating engagement, exchange of knowledge and experience, interacting with the audience through questions.
The program is shown on TV channel ‘Al Kahera Wal Nas’ every Saturday at 05:30 pm and is repeated five times on TV channel ‘Al Kahera Wal Nas’ (1) every Monday and Thursday at 12:00 pm and on TV channel ‘Al Kahera Wal Nas’ (2) every Saturday, Sunday and Wednesday at 09:00 pm.
