International Day of the Girl Child: ‘I am not 18 yet, do not steal my childhood’

Doll protest held to decry early marriages, BIAAG campaign launched.

ISLAMABAD:

Her voice often goes unheard. She is not given education, is discriminated against and often at a very young age, this innocent girl is married away by her poverty-stricken family.

There are many such stories out there.

To highlight her plight and raise voice on her behalf, a doll protest was held outside the National Press Club on Thursday.

The toy figures holding miniature placards had a clear message for all those responsible for stealing this girl’s childhood. “Do not steal my childhood, I am not 18 yet, do not scarify my childhood in the name of culture, let me cherish my childhood,” the placards read.

The demonstration was organised by ActionAid, Blue Vein and Girls Not Brides to mark the first ever International Day of the Girl Child. The day is going to be observed every year on October 16 to recognise girls as a population that faces numerous difficult challenges.

Talking to The Express Tribune, Haleema who had come all the way from Charsadda shared the difficulties she had faced in order to protect her daughter, who is 14 years old, from becoming victim of an early marriage.

“My daughter got engaged when she was born. Later when she reached 13 her in-laws started forcing us to marry her, but I never wanted this to happen and I begged in front of my husband not to do this,” she said.

“I have seen a girl in our neighbourhood who got married when she was 12 and lived a life worse than an animal,” Haleema added.

Later, a press conference was held in which participants urged the government to pass a law for the protection of children and women in Pakistan.

Speaking on the occasion, MNA Dr Attiya Inayatullah said that Women Parliamentary Caucus has introduced three different bills on the issues of women and children which include ‘Domestic Violence Bill’, Child Marriage Restraint Act (revised) and Child Rights Charter but the progress on the passage of those bills was slow.

A girl should not be made a bride at an early age, she should be given a chance to cherish her childhood and live her life, she added.

While condemning terrorist’s attack on Malala Yousafzai, Dr Attiya said, it is not an attack on her only but it is an attack on all those girls in our county who want to get education.

She asked the Council of Islamic Ideology to play a proactive role in this regard by issuing decrees against those who commit such atrocities.

‘Because I am a girl’

Meanwhile, Plan Pakistan launched its “Because I Am A Girl Campaign” (BIAAG) globally on the day to highlight inequalities and hardships the girl-child faces the world over.

The launch took place at a private hotel where Plan’s annual report on BIAAG was distributed among the political figures, academicians, women rights activists, members of UN agencies, international and local NGOs, and girls from all over Pakistan.

Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting Qamar Zaman Kaira was the chief guest at the occasion, but the spotlight was stolen from him by singing sensation and human rights activist Shehzad Roy.

Roy noted that if the state of education and progress is to change in the country, then the focus needs to be on improving government schools. The musician has started an all-Pakistan motorcycle trip where he is visiting state schools to assess their conditions and what they need for improvement. “We must employ six to seven intervention mechanisms at the same time to get out of this,” said Roy concluding his speech.

Speaking at the event, Plan International Pakistan Country Director Rashid Javed said, “I call upon the government to enhance budget for girls’ education on this very first ‘International Day of the Girl Child’ declared by the UN General Assembly.” He also demanded that the age of criminal liability for children be enhanced from 7 to12 years and minimum age of marriage for a girl to 18.

The BIAAG campaign will support four million girls to get the education, skills and support they need to move themselves from poverty to opportunity over the next four years.

At the event, Kaira vowed that the government will do more for the development of children in general and girls in particular.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 12^th, 2012.