Addis Ababa, June 13 (IANS) The inspiring tale of a 21-year-old Ethiopian woman who wrote an exam just half an hour after giving birth has made the netizens salute her resolve, while some raised the issue of early age of marriage for girls in the country.
“Good luck to the amazing Almaz Derese who sat in the Ethiopian national final exam just 30 min after she gave birth to her son at just 21,” wrote Twitter user Ermias W Amene.
Reacting to the report that Derese had to sit for the secondary school exam in hospital as it got postponed because of Ramadan, social media users commended her courage and determination.
“Strength of a woman…,” wrote one user.
Some said that she offers a lesson in dedication and perseverance to other African women.
“Almaz Derese- an incredible woman,” wrote another user.
According to a report in the BBC, Almaz faced no problem in studying during her pregnancy and she did not want to wait until next year to graduate.
While many people congratulated the young woman for taking three exams from hospital, others questioned why she had to go through all the trouble.
“Kudos to Almaz Derese. But why are women being subjected to this kind of condition? It’s unfair and even cruel,” tweeted another user.
Some even raised the issue of early marriage.
According to a 2018 Unicef report, four in 10 young women in Ethiopia were married or in union before their 18th birthday.
Ethiopia is home to 15 million child brides including currently married girls and women who were first married in childhood, said the report.
Girls who reside in rural areas or live in poorer households have a higher risk, and a higher proportion of child brides are found among those with little or no education, it added.
–IANS
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