Lost Childhood

The novella "Lost Childhood" tells the story of Layla, a young girl who falls victim to tradition and harsh realities when she is forcibly married off at a tender age. Still a child just beginning to discover the world, her childhood is abruptly cut short, replaced by the burdensome and exhausting life of a wife. Layla is forced to take on responsibilities for which she is unprepared, both physically and emotionally: from daily household chores to caring for a husband who sees her not as a person but as an object meant to fulfill his demands.This novella serves as a deep and painful protest against the possibility of lowering the marriageable age for girls to nine years, a proposal under consideration by the Iraqi parliament. Layla’s story reveals the horrifying consequences of such a decision, showing how an immature girl is forced into the roles of wife and mother, losing her right to childhood, to education, and to self-fulfillment. "Lost Childhood" is a call to reflect on the implications of early marriages and to protect children’s right to a safe, happy, and fulfilling childhood.