The government needs to reevaluate child rights in tandem with the Convention on the Rights of the Child. PHOTO: FILE
The recently launched Alliance Against Child Marriages (AACM) Punjab is working to this end and must now execute its ambitions to spread awareness on the issue, particularly in rural areas of the country where child marriages are prevalent. Statistics find that approximately 50 per cent of Pakistani women are married by age 19 and become mothers by age 21. This disrupts the natural progression of both physical and mental growth, and could lead to a counterproductive, unhealthy family life. The practice is also criminal because a 13-year-old child given in marriage is not mature enough to have knowledge of the concept of sexual consent and hence could be subject to rape. It is time that awareness about child rights is spread, not only to vulnerable girls and boys, but also to adults who support the practice.
We welcome the initiative of the AACM, but more needs to be done to counter child marriages. The government needs to reevaluate child rights in tandem with the Convention on the Rights of the Child. It must come down to creating strict, clearly defined laws and jailing any adult who chooses to violate those laws. Until the government deals heavy blows to violators, the practice will continue to ruin the lives of many young boys and girls.
Published in The Express Tribune, November 10th, 2013.
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In Pakistan almost everything is discussed based on what Islam says on the subject. That is what you have not done in your otherwise very liberal and excellent editorial. Child marriage should be banned and the minimum age should be increased to at least 21. Whatever the constitution and penal code of country suggests, it seems that the society and the government itself are not able to budge Islamic instructions, values and tenets -- especially on the issue of child marriage. In most Muslim countries, laws and even constitutions, when they collide with Islamic trends that have existed for the last 1,400 years, seem to have absolutely no effect. So the only way to step forward is to discuss what it says in Islam. If there is no clear instructions, then we have to ask that such instructions should be interpreted in a more liberal way, which fits in this 21st century. Marriage is not just sexual relationship but also sharing the responsibilities and burdens of adult life. In my view all the parents should stress to newly weds to wait at least 3 years before planning a baby. as we know if the marriage breaks down, the women are burdened with children also, which decrease their chance of getting married again. .
This is a good topic but poorly written editorial. Who is writing for ET??
Very good. Education is the only long-term way to counter this without consistent policing. But marriage after 18-20 is a positive step. It is better to get married than get involved in relationships which often lead to unpleasant consequences.