Nujood Ali

Yemeni girl who became global symbol against child marriage by fighting for divorce at age 10

Nujood Ali (born 1998) rewrote Yemeni legal history when she walked alone to a Sana'a courthouse in 2008 to seek divorce from her 30-year-old husband. Her unprecedented act:

• Inspired Yemen's first parliamentary debate about minimum marriage age
• Became subject of UNICEF campaigns against child marriage
• Prompted over 100 copycat cases within two years

Her memoir 《I Am Nujood, Age 10 and Divorced》 (2009), co-written with French journalist Delphine Minoui, has been translated into 30 languages. While critics note limited systemic change in Yemen, Nujood's story remains pivotal in global child marriage discourse.

Today, Nujood – who returned to school and aims to become a human rights lawyer – represents both the potential and limitations of individual courage in patriarchal structures.