Do you love America? How can you not love a country filled with men and women who are already qualified to be avail of elder person’s discount still refuses to marrry?

There are other countries, however, who practice the direct opposite of this mentality. These countries allow children to marry. In some cases, these children are actually… wait for it… required to marry.

I’m sure we will all say there must be some sort of “child rights” violation there but how do you debate with traditions and culture that have prevailed even before Jesus Christ was born?

10. Egypt

Before you go up in arms, the marrying age for Egypt: 18 for males and 16 for females nowadays. 16 is still a child in America. However, there are some states that allow the marriage of 16-years-olds under special circumstance and only with court permission.

Back to Egypt… ancient Egypt married their children very young – around 12-14. Anything over this is considered… wait for it… old. Many of the marriages were arranged by parents but recent discovery of love letters between young Egyptians proves that many actually fell in love. Many young men who are interested in girls (sounds so wrong) uses a female go-between to approach the mother of the girl, not the father.

9. Afghanistan

Marrying age: 18 for males and 16 for females but half of the marriages recorded involves females younger than 16.

Who would forget the UNICEF winning photo of a 40-year-old male, Muhammad, marrying an 11-year-old-girl Ghulam (see above). Most of this marriages are arranged and primary motivation is poverty. There is also the publicized story of a 17-year-old girl who first got married at 13 who got so depressed, she tried to kill himself. Since women are considered a property and second class, they are sold to men. Once sold, they are expected to care and serve their husband.

8. Bangladesh

According to UNICEFs 2011 State of the Worlds Children report, about a third of women in Bangladesh aged 20-24 are married by the age of 15, and 66 per cent percent of girls will wed before their 18th birthday – up 2 per cent from 2009. Efforts have been and are still being made to stop this practice by offering scholarship to women who will delay marriages.

Parents, however, continue to marry their children young to avoide reduced dowry (the older the woman, the lower the dowry) and keep their children away from being raped, sexually harrased and stalked. Bangladesh men prey on virgins, especially young virgins.

7. Ethiopia

In Ethiopia, legal marriable age is 18 for both men and women but some girls marry as young as 10 years old. Like many other countries on this list, they are considered a second class citizen and are expected to stay in the house to serve their husbands.

This is especially prevalent in rural areas where girls are not educated because parents prioritize the boys.

6. Pakistan

The marrying age for Pakistan: 18 for males and 16 for females but 30% of the marriages involves minors.

There is also a prevailing tradition called “Vani” where blood feud between tribes are settled by offering their children to their enemy to marry.

If you liked this list you should also check out:

• Top 10 Countries With Youngest Teenage Pregnancies
• Top 10 Eco Friendly Children’s Brands Part 1
• Top 10 Countries With No Military Forces
• Top 10 Eco Friendly Children’s Brands Part 2
• Top 10 Children’s Museum