Nermin Muslim from Aleppo was married at age 14 to a man nine years older than her. She reports that she was severely restricted by the patriarchal attitude in her life and could not even continue to attend school. Nermin had to migrate to Lebanon at the beginning of the Syrian crisis to work there. There she got a daughter.

After the birth of her daughter, she was kept by her husband at home, she tells. But she did not accept the life destined to her and decided to leave her husband. After the separation, she returned to Syria. Since Nermin's family had to flee Aleppo because of the war, they settled in the village of Kafernaya in the Shehba region. One week after Nermin arrived in the village, she met members of the Democratic Arab Youth Movement. Immediately she started to work in the group. For the first six months she was a member of the movement. She worked to organize the young women in the district and carried out in particular education work against child marriage. Because of her great commitment, she has become co-chair of the youth movement.

Speaking to the ANHA news agency, Nermin said: "I was married at a young age because of the patriarchal mentality that restricts the role of women in society. I have suffered a lot in this marriage."

She emphasizes that she never accepted this patriarchal attitude and therefore separated herself from her husband. Now she is back in Syria to take action against child marriages. She says she is drawing strength from the Democratic Arab Youth Movement, stressing that free women could overcome all obstacles.