Early Child Marriage Restraint Act on the cards

Lack of awareness main issue, says provincial govt official

ISLAMABAD:

Balochistan government has begun efforts to approve its first-ever Early Child Marriage Restraint Act to overcome the increasing maternal mortality rate due to underage marriages in the province.

The largest province of the country is on the top of maternal mortality rate due to the weak health of women and young girls under the age of 18 who have greater chances of developing health complications while expecting child which could lead to their death, an official of Balochistan government told APP on Tuesday.

He highlighted that in tribal societies, child marriages are common where girls get married off at a very young age, adding that their parents and in-laws do not bother to inquire about the physical and psychological impacts of marriage on the young girls.

Read Child marriages

The official further said the families prefer mothers to give birth to maximum kids and mostly the young underage women have to bear the brunt which ultimately puts their life into perils. "There are very few mothers and children who survive during the stage of pregnancy to delivery due to early marriages in the province."

He pointed out that lack of awareness was the main issue of early age marriages.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 1^st, 2021.