2012 Photo Contest, Contemporary Issues, 1st prize

Child Brides

Photographer

Stephanie Sinclair

VII Photo Agency for <em>National Geographic</em> magazine

01 May, 2010

A newly married teenage girl, inside her home in Takhar provice, Afghanistan.

About the photographer

Stephanie Sinclair

After university, Sinclair worked for the Chicago Tribune, which sent her to cover the lead up to the war in Iraq. She later moved to the Middle East covering the region for six ...

Background story

Takhar, Afghanistan

A newly married teenage girl, inside her home in Takhar provice, Afghanistan. Every year, all over the world, millions of girls below the age of 18 undergo marriages initiated by their families. The tradition of child marriage spans continents, religion, and class. Girls who marry early often abandon their education. The incidence of maternal and infant death is high for women who give birth under the age of 18. Child marriages often take place in defiance of national laws, and despite education programs about health issues. They are seen as an economic necessity in some regions, or are deeply ingrained in local culture.

Technical information

Shutter Speed
1/640 sec
Focal length
27 mm
F-Stop
f/3.5
ISO
250
Camera
Canon EOS 5D Mark II

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