The Saudi Human Rights Commission (SHRC) has launched a campaign to set a minimum age for marriage in the kingdom.
The SHRC began its campaign following several high profile trials, where young girls, sometimes less than 10 years old, were married off to men above the age of 50 and even 70.
"This is a violation of human rights, and a clear breach of international conventions that Saudi Arabia has signed onto," SHRC chairman Turki A-Sudeiri told the London-based daily al-Arab.
"Child marriages should be considered the same as forced marriages, since valid consent has not been obtained from the bride, who is also under-aged," Sudeiri said, adding that this could lead to "severe health complications, since the girl is not psychologically, physically and sexually mature to enter wedlock."
For many in Saudi Arabia, the custom of marrying off young girls to older men does not seem immoral. Poor families find this a profitable bargain, as they receive high bridal fees from the old groom.
Such marriages often take place during the summer holidays, when rich men marry young girls and then divorce them when the holiday is over, al-Arab reports.
Experts estimate that hundreds of young girls undergo such forced temporary marriages.
SHRC is now lobbying for the drafting of a law that would set the minimum age for marriage at 17 for girls and 18 for boys.
Meanwhile, a similar campaign has begun in neighboring Yemen, where the phenomenon is also widespread.
"Currently the law stipulates that a woman is to be married at the age of 15, or if she is 'suitable for marriage,'" editor of the Yemen Times, Nadia A-Saqqaf, told The Media Line in a recent interview.
"The term 'suitable for marriage' in Arabic is, however, very hard to define. What does it mean? It is up to the parent or the judge to decide if the girl is 'up for marriage,'" said Saqqaf.
Saqqaf added that her paper was lobbying for defining the exact term of "being suitable." She said a particular characteristic must be in place in order to regard a child as suitable.
"For example: being an adult, or having a high school diploma. We also campaign for defining a particular age for marriage which is the minimum," Saqqaf said.
