The Bride Price

Consequences of Early Marriage Worldwide

Photographer

Stephanie Sinclair

Concept

The UN Population Fund, which tracks global reproductive patterns, has noted a significant early marriage problem in at least 49 countries worldwide. Married off to strangers before many even reach the age of puberty, these girls face a host of psychological, physical and emotional problems. I have documented this issue of early marriage and its consequences in Afghanistan, Ethiopia and Nepal, and intend to continue my audio reporting and photography in those countries as well as several others, including India, Bangladesh and the Democratic Republic of Congo. Though each culture is distinct in its approach to this issue, these early unions, no matter the geography, often have catastrophic results: Young brides discontinue their educations. Youth and inexperience leave them vulnerable to abuse at the hands of their spouses. Early pregnancies endanger their health. And if they try to leave the marriage, they often fall victim to trafficking, prostitution and AIDS.

Biography

Stephanie Sinclair, 34, graduated from the University of Florida, with a BS in Journalism and a minor in Fine Art Photography. The Chicago Tribune hired her out of college where she worked for five years. After covering the war in Iraq, Stephanie quit her job and moved to Iraq and then Beirut, Lebanon to work out of the region. Her regular clients include The New York Times Magazine, Time, Newsweek, US News & World Report, Stern, German Geo and Marie Claire among others.

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The Bride Price

Consequences of Early Marriage Worldwide

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