One evening recently, my mother asked me to wear something nice.
She said we were going to have company. I wondered what was so special about these guests..

A few minutes later, a man and his son arrived at our home.
The man explained that he and my father were good friends, and that he wanted to solidify that friendship through marriage.

I was shocked!
My parents never mentioned a word of this to me; I turned to my dad for help. My father always encouraged me to focus on my studies. It never occurred to me that he would want to marry me off at 19!
When the young man and his father requested that I quit my studies my father rejected the idea completely.
He did not think that his friend would be so closed-minded and ignorant.
I thank God everyday. My father has a PhD and wants me to pursue my own educational and career opportunities. What if he was not so educated? Where would I be? Perhaps barefoot and pregnant or married with two children, cooking, cleaning and baking bread all day long…

Today, I am a second-year university student majoring in English studies.

-Maroua ,22 
-Tetuan, MOROCCO