KARACHI:
The menace of child marriage takes away the innocence of millions of girls around the world and forces them to live in poverty and ignorance, with poor mental and physical health. In Pakistan, child marriages are extremely rampant. The issue is considered as one of the most heinous ones plaguing our society.
Abject poverty, lack of education, and cultural norms are some of the reasons that contribute to the perpetuation of this practice. It keeps girls imprisoned in the vicious cycle of illiteracy and poverty. The provinces of Sindh and Punjab have enacted child marriage restraint acts to combat the issue. However, in Balochistan the problem still persists. Girls are married off as early as 12-14 years to men who are twice or even thrice their age. Regrettably, many parents wrongly believe that by getting them married at such an early age, they are securing their daughter’s future. They don’t realise that it exposes them to extreme hardships from a young age. These girls are burdened with household chores as well as childbirth. They are already weak and often malnourished, and pregnancy at an early age will further cause severe health problems. If the girls do successfully give birth, they now have to take full responsibility of the child. Parents choose not to support their daughters due to conservative customs and cultural values.
These practices are extremely unfair and unjust. They should be deemed illegal by the state. The government needs to issue laws prohibiting child marriages and strict action should be taken against those that marry underage children.
Gohar Nasir Ali
Turbat
Published in The Express Tribune, August 31st, 2021.
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