“I blame my parents for making a decision instead of me”

37-year-old Christine, a mother (renamed) of two children is one of the women in Armenia who have been married at an early age by family decision …

Christine was still 18 when her parents decided to marry her. “My parents said he is a good guy, has got a job, get married, and we will get rid of at least one problem.  I tried to revolt, but I realized it did not matter … I got married three months after graduating from school. I married without love … My classmates went to university, and I became a lady with a lot of burden, “says Christine.

She grew up in a poor family. Her parents, sister, grandmother and grandfather, uncle and aunt lived in a two-room apartment. The problems in the family were scarce and they could barely end. The relationship between mother and grandmother was not good, but there was no talk of separation. Once, when her mom raised that question, she was showed the door of the house, of course without children. “It’s natural that my mother would not go without us,” she says.

It is hard to call Christine’s luck and marriage to be good. After marriage she had more problems. Her husband was jealous, she did not let her go out of home. So after living 11 years with her husband she finally decided to divorce, as realized that could not continue living in those conditions, otherwise she could commit a suicide.

Christine has been unable to find a job for a long time, her sister took care of  the children, yet has no intention of getting married having Christine’s example…

Now, I realize what wrong principles my parents have been guided with, and of course, making a decision on my life instead of me can be called a principle. “Today, according to Christine, it’s because of the fact that she she cannot find a job, she has worked in a small shop for several months, but she has been shut down and is left without work.

She is also full of optimism. She says one day she accidentally met one of her classmates in the street who promised to support her in every matter.