A child bride was forced to marry a 48-year-old man and look after his kids in prior marriages—the same age as her.
In the Philippines, the child bride married Abdulrzak Ampatuan who is nearly four times her age.
The 13-year-old became Ampatuan’s fifth wife. The unnamed girl will now have to take care of his children who are the same age as her.
According to Mirror Online, Ampatuan said that he wants his young wife to get an education and plans to have children with her when she turns 20 years old.
The unusual wedding took place in the town of Mamasapano, and the photos show the girl dressed in a traditional white gown.
The pictures show guests are gathered around them during and taking photos, immortalizing the ceremony.
Ampatuan works as a farmer, while his young wife does the house chores and cares for his children from previous marriages. Just recently, he built a new house for them both to live in.
“I am happy to have found her and spend my days with her taking care of my children,” Ampatuan said. “I will pay for her school because I want her to get an education while waiting for the right time to have children.”
The United Nations defines child marriage. Any formal marriage or informal union where one, or both, people are under 18-years-old is considered a human rights violation.
The organization believes that such marriages threaten girls’ lives and health while limiting their future prospects.
According to UNICEF’s data, the Philippines has the 12th highest number of child brides, at 726,000.
A campaign group, Girls Not Brides says the figure shows around 15% of girls in the Philippines are married before the age of 18 and 2% before their 15th birthday.
“Child marriage is a human rights violation that we must end to achieve a better future for all,” the group said. “Child brides face huge challenges because they are married as children.”
“Isolated and with limited freedom, married girls often feel disempowered,” the group added. “They are deprived of their fundamental rights to health, education, and safety.”