Awareness campaigns can help in educating people about the harmful impacts of underage marriages
SWAT: A marital bond in which one or both of the spouses are under 18 years of age is known as underage marriage. There are many different situations in which such marriages take place but primarily it is due to illiteracy, low status of women, economic difficulties, customs, traditions, alliances, and agreements among feudal families. Dowry plays a big role in underage marriages. Many families go for underage marriage because of tradition. Moreover, it is also because girls are given less importance than boys. Not all but some people consider daughters as a burden that must be married off as early as possible. Often underage girls are married off to men aged 40-50 years or more. This exposes girls to domestic violence. Marrying young girls at very young age results in many health issues and consequences like weak infants with high chances of mortality and fistula-pregnancy related complications.
As per the research of a non-governmental organisation, several million girls were married below 18 years of age in 2016. According to another research by the Population Council of Pakistan, 15,000 women die every year due to pregnancy-related causes.
Awareness campaigns can help in educating people about the harmful impact of underage marriages. If people are convinced of the harmful consequences of underage marriage, this will eliminate this damaging practice. The government should take effective measures to eradicate the menace of underage marriage.
Saifuddin
Swat
Published in The Express Tribune, September 17th, 2018.
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