( CNN ) -- `` When I got married I was scared , '' remembers 10-year-old Nujood Ali . `` I did n't want to leave my family and siblings . '' Yemeni lawyer Shada Nasser helped 10-year-old Nujood Ali divorce her 30-year-old husband . At an age when girls in the West still play with dolls , Nujood found herself married to a man three times her age . But in her home country of Yemen -- a deeply conservative Middle East Muslim nation -- this situation is n't uncommon . Yemeni lawyer Shada Nasser had long opposed the practice of early marriage when , in April 2008 , she got a chance to do something about it . Arriving at the courthouse for her usual casework one day , Nasser was told about a young girl who had come to court alone . She met Nujood , who told her that she was desperate ; she wanted a divorce . Nasser says she was appalled by Nujood 's story , particularly her claims that her 30-year-old husband regularly beat and raped her . It was unheard of for such a young girl to get a divorce , but Nasser did n't hesitate to take the case . `` When I spoke with her , I [ felt ] like she [ was ] my daughter , '' Nasser recalls . `` I hugged her and said , 'Do n't be afraid . I will help you and you will take the divorce . ' '' Since then , Nasser has volunteered to help other young brides , and is working to raise the legal age for marriage in Yemen . As a lawyer and activist , Nasser has always promoted the rights of women and children . Born in the progressive southern region of Yemen , she was raised in an affluent family . She graduated from law school in 1990 in Prague , which was then part of Czechoslovakia . Her father , a journalist and union organizer , died when she was young , but Nasser inherited his crusading instincts and has spent much of her career challenging the status quo . Among the first female lawyers in the capital city of Sanaa , Nasser has defended several women who she believes were wrongfully accused of crimes . `` I believe in being a lawyer to help people , '' she says . By striving to end early marriage , Nasser is challenging a custom that 's been part of Yemeni culture for centuries . Extreme poverty leads some parents to marry off their daughters , while others do it to protect the girls from spinsterhood , or from potentially shaming the family by getting involved with a man out of wedlock . Some find justification in the Quran . Sanaa University 's Woman and Development Study Center found that more than 50 percent of Yemeni women are married before they are 18 ; in some regions , 8- and 10-year-old brides are the norm . The 1992 law that set Yemen 's marriage age at 15 was later amended to allow even younger girls to wed with parental approval . However , they are not supposed to have sexual relations until they are `` mature , '' a stipulation that 's difficult to enforce . When Nujood 's parents agreed for her to be married , they believed they were putting her in the care of her husband 's family . Nujood 's father , Ali Mohammed Ahdal , is angry about what the man did to his daughter . `` He was a criminal , a criminal . He did hateful things to her , '' he said . `` He did n't keep his promise to me that he would n't go near her until she was 20 . '' Specialists believe that young girls giving birth at an early age has contributed to Yemen having one of the highest maternal mortality rates in the world , according to the United Nations Population Fund . After Nasser took Nujood 's case , reporters packed the courtroom . When the judge dissolved the marriage , the story made headlines around the world . Sharia law dictated that Nujood pay her husband more than $ 200 , which was covered by donations . Watch Nujood and Nasser tell their story » . Now happily back home with her family , Nujood hopes to become a journalist , and says she never wants to get remarried . Reflecting on her experience , she shows a maturity beyond her 10 years . `` I did this so that people listen and think to not marry girls so young , '' Nujood says . `` Like what happened to me . '' Watch Nasser explain how Nujood has become a symbol for girls in Yemen » . Nujood 's case sparked a nationwide debate about the marriage age ; Nasser and others hope to raise it to 18 . Having already been contacted by other child brides , she 's vowed to help as many of them as she can , for free . `` I and Nujood , we opened this big window for all other girls , '' Nasser says . `` Nujood 's case is going to change a lot of things , and will better the lives of hundreds of young girls who live in the countryside . ''
Yemeni activist Shada Ibrahim helped a year - old divorce her 30-year - old husband . Since then , Nasser has volunteered to help other young brides . She is also working to raise Yemen 's legal definition of marriage . In some parts of the country , 9 and 10 - old brides are the norm .