While we cannot say with certainty that child marriages are the reason behind the school dropout rates of girls, marrying off girls at a tender age is an injustice and it needs to be stopped.
According to the latest child marriage bill passed in the country, no child should be married off before the age of 18. But the people in Balochistan are not abiding by the law and it has been noted that around 115 underage children have been married in Balochistan in recent years. It is not just a violation of the rights of the girl- child, but considering that young brides have children at a tender age, these girls also become vulnerable to health risks owing to early pregnancies.
It is not only the responsibility of the Balochistan government to curb this menace, but parents of girls should also realise their responsibility of educating their children— irrespective of their gender — and not ruin the lives of their daughters by marrying them young.
Saif Naeem
Published in The Express Tribune, February 9th, 2019.
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