Parliament in Yemen has been asked to set a minimum age for marriage.
The BBC reports there has been an outcry over reports that a girl, aged eight, died of internal bleeding on the night of her marriage to a man, aged 40, in Meedi, a town in the north-western province of Hajjah.
Details of the case are unclear, but human rights minister Hooria Mashhour told the BBC she believed there was more chance of making progress on the issue of child marriage in Yemen than ever before.
Ms Othman said no action had been taken against the man.
She said that she had asked parliament to set a minimum age for marriage.
A BBC correspondent said those against setting a minimum marriage in Yemen say that it goes against the country's tradition, culture and religion.
