Menace of child marriage

Letter May 28, 2017
Cases of child marriage are still rampant in the province

KARACHI: The Sindh Child Marriage Restraint Act of 2014 was passed three years ago in the hopes of ending this menace, which prohibits families from marrying off their children under the age of 18. However, cases of child marriage are still rampant in the province. Any attempts made to curb it have fallen short of effective change as besides families of these minors, the nikah registrars are also equally responsible for solemnising marriages.

The recent case of a 17-year-old girl tying the knot with a 27-year-old provides evidence that the law is not being followed. According to Girls, Not Brides organisation, 21 per cent of girls in Pakistan are married before the age of 18; an appalling condition driving young girls away from reaching their potentials and depriving them of their rights, such as right to education, as most of these girls belong to lower-income households and leave schools, if they were enrolled, after marriage. In fact, the problem doesn’t end but only begins for them after marriage, as a lack of awareness of their rights pushes them towards rearing children at an early age, which in turn results in health issues for them or their child, such as the epidemic of stunted children.

Early this year, the National Assembly attempted to further stop this menace by adopting an amendment to the penal code that would toughen punishment against child marriage: offenders would face a minimum of five years’ imprisonment and may serve up to 10 years. They will also face a fine of up to Rs1 million. But this too hasn’t brought much change in the mind-set of the people. According to a news story published on May 23rd, more than 50 FIRs had been lodged so far against offenders but in only two instances was action taken. If such a situation persists then there is no real chance of completely putting an end to child marriages in the province, considering that many of the cases also go unreported.

Sidra Kashif

Published in The Express Tribune, May 28th, 2017.

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