Early marriages remain a serious problem in Georgia. 14 percent of 15-19 year old Georgian women are already married. 738 minors became parents in 2018 - 715 women and 23 men.
32 percent of the residents of Kvemo Kartli got married before they came of age, including 5 percent aged 13-14 years old. In 2015, 408 schoolchildren from 13 to 17 years old stopped studying due to the fact that they were ‘settling down to create families’, most of them girls.
In Georgia, the regions of Kvemo Kartli and Achara are particularly notable for early marriages, where this is considered a tradition.Below, the stories of three such women.
Sonya Mikeladze, 68 years old
I was born in Shuakhevi, the village of Brili. We were five children. I was a shy child. I was especially afraid of my father. His word was law to me. I studied very well at school, graduated from the eighth grade. I wanted to continue my studies, but I was forbidden from going to the neighboring village where there was a secondary school, and soon I was married.
The first time my father married me at the age of 18. Forcibly. I didn’t love my husband. I suffered through it for three months and returned home. This was the first time I disobeyed my father. He did not talk to me for nine months after that.
When I turned 20, my father repeatedly and again forcibly married a 45-year-old man. He was already married, had two daughters.
While sending me to him, my father advised me to at least give birth to a child. However, I was not able to. As a result I adopted my grandson of my husband.
The husband was a very rude and loud man, but his first wife Emine was an amazing woman. She met me and became my closest friend for 21 years. She and I lived like sisters. I miss her very much, I miss her dearly.
Emine loved her husband very much. He had spent 25 years in prison, and she was waiting for him, gave birth to two daughters, raised them alone, and also went to Moscow three times to help her husband somehow.
And finally, she got what she was after – she brought him home. But he betrayed her, brought me in as another wife, hoping I would give birth to a boy. But I could not give birth to anyone.
Indeed, many years have passed. But I remain at odds with my father. I cannot forgive him. I have no issues with my mother. Once, I told my father how much he had hurt me. He offered to forgive each other and forget about everything. But I said that I could never forgive him. Even in the next world.
Well, I didn’t want to get married, I dreamed of studying in Batumi, I dreamed of a doctor’s white coat ...
And so it all happened, and what love is - I do not know. No, I love people. But love between a husband and wife is not known to me. And marriages like mine are still not uncommon in villages.
Makvala Resulidze, 44 years old
I was born in the village of Vashlovani, Khulo district. We were nine children in the family.
As a child, I was boisterous. This is probably why I was drawn to sports. I held records at school competitions. And yet, at the same time, from early childhood I knew how to do everything - I worked on tobacco plantations in the field. Then tobacco in our area was grown. I worked to harvest apples and pears.
And at the age of 14 my life changed. At first, my brother died, then my mother became seriously ill, she could not bear the loss, and after three years she died.
My family had a very difficult time, and there was no way out - that’s why they gave me away in marriage at 19. Before the wedding, I saw my husband only once. I can’t say that I didn’t like him, on the contrary. But I had dreamed of something else.
I was thinking I’d become a paramedic, but...
At first, in the new family I was afraid of everything, afraid of living. I did not dare to take a piece of bread at dinner. But I was lucky with my mother-in-law, she was good, she greeted me as a daughter. Little by little I learned everything, I worked a lot.
Actually, today I work a lot - I look after The cattle, I work in the field, around the house.
My husband is a shepherd. We have to get up in the dark, before six in the morning, collect food for him, accompany him. Then I worry all day for him to return home safe and sound. The share of the shepherd’s wife is hard.
From my life experience, I can say that women should value themselves, not take on extra burden, as I do more than I can. And I constantly care for my children - no need to overload myself, in the end it will hurt my health.
I myself began to feel this, but I am not complaining, although my heart aches - otherwise I wanted to live, and everything went wrong. Now I’m more worried about getting an education for my children.
Dariko Artmeladze, 43 years old
At age 14 they put a wedding dress on me and put me in a corner.And I can’t describe how scared I was. I didn’t understand anything, I knew nothing about marriage. I dreamed of studying, but I managed to finish only the 6th grade.
I always say: early marriage is bad. Education should come first. A man must be formed as a person, and he must build his life.
I have been married twice. That’s just how it happened. The second time it happened, it was already my own will. I have seven children, and I am expecting a seventh grandson. No matter how hard it is, how I look at my children - I forget about everything in the world. My happiness is only my children.