24% of Pakistani women aged 20-24 were married before 18: UN
Report also states a baby dies about every three minutes in Pakistan, while over 350,000 children die before turning 5
KARACHI:
At least 24% of women in Pakistan, aged 20 to 24, were married before turning 18, a United Nations (UN) report revealed on Friday.
The report, titled "Improving Children's Lives: Transforming the Future" and published by Unicef, marks 25 years since the General Assembly of the UN adopted the Convention on the Rights of the Child.
PHOTO: UN REPORT
According to the report, girls from poor families in Pakistan were more likely to get married before the age of 18 than those in richer families (46% as compared to 18%).
Also, 29% of women, aged 20 to 24, living in rural areas of the country got married before the age of 18 compared to 16% of those living in urban areas.
In a broader context, the report stated that one in five girls (18%) in South Asia got married before the age of 15, while almost half of all girls in South Asia (46%) marry before the age of 18.
Child health
According to the UN report, a baby dies about every three minutes in Pakistan, while more than 350,000 children in Pakistan die before the age of five, of them around 20% die because of pneumonia.
The neonatal mortality (death in the first 28 days in life) rate was 42 per 1,000 live births in 2012, with 202,000 neonatal deaths in the year.
PHOTO: UN REPORT
The report also revealed child sex ratio in Pakistan for children aged 0 to 4 is 985 girls per every 1,000 boys, sourcing Pakistan Demographic and Health Survey 2012-2013.
Another interesting fact that the report pointed out was that only about half of the births were attended by skilled health staff during the period 2007-2012 (49%).
"Pakistan has the lowest birth registration rate in the region, with 73% of its children under five not being registered," the report further stated.
Stunting in children
The detailed report also included figures on stunting in children under the age of five, stating that 43% children in Pakistan in 2010 had stunted growth as compared to 55% in 1990, with 1.1% estimated annual rate of reduction.
With reference to mother's level of formal education and stunted growth in children, the data showed 20% of mothers who received secondary education and above have children with stunted growth, while the percentage rises to 50% for mothers who had received no education.
PHOTO: UN REPORT
In the report, stunting among children was also compared based on whether they lived in rural or urban areas. Around 50% of the children in rural areas had stunted growth as compared to 35% in urban areas.
PHOTO: UN REPORT
Education
In Pakistan, one in three children between the ages of five and nine are not in school, according to the report.
Poverty plays a major role when it comes to education in Pakistan, with a gap of 50 percentage points between the richest and the poorest children.
Highlighting the sad state of affairs of the education system in the country, the report stated that 51% of children in Grade 5 cannot read Grade 2-level text in their local language. Also, 57% of the fifth year of primary education cannot do two-digit division.
When it comes to gender, in rural areas of Pakistan, only 38% of girls can do simple arithmetic compared with 45% of boys. Only 43% of the girls can read as compared to 48% of the boys.
In rich families, the gender gap does not exist when it comes to education.
Just 15% of girls from poorest families can read basic Urdu as compared to 21% of boys from poorest families and 42% of girls from richest families.
PHOTO: UN REPORT
At least 24% of women in Pakistan, aged 20 to 24, were married before turning 18, a United Nations (UN) report revealed on Friday.
The report, titled "Improving Children's Lives: Transforming the Future" and published by Unicef, marks 25 years since the General Assembly of the UN adopted the Convention on the Rights of the Child.
PHOTO: UN REPORT
According to the report, girls from poor families in Pakistan were more likely to get married before the age of 18 than those in richer families (46% as compared to 18%).
Also, 29% of women, aged 20 to 24, living in rural areas of the country got married before the age of 18 compared to 16% of those living in urban areas.
In a broader context, the report stated that one in five girls (18%) in South Asia got married before the age of 15, while almost half of all girls in South Asia (46%) marry before the age of 18.
Child health
According to the UN report, a baby dies about every three minutes in Pakistan, while more than 350,000 children in Pakistan die before the age of five, of them around 20% die because of pneumonia.
The neonatal mortality (death in the first 28 days in life) rate was 42 per 1,000 live births in 2012, with 202,000 neonatal deaths in the year.
PHOTO: UN REPORT
The report also revealed child sex ratio in Pakistan for children aged 0 to 4 is 985 girls per every 1,000 boys, sourcing Pakistan Demographic and Health Survey 2012-2013.
Another interesting fact that the report pointed out was that only about half of the births were attended by skilled health staff during the period 2007-2012 (49%).
"Pakistan has the lowest birth registration rate in the region, with 73% of its children under five not being registered," the report further stated.
Stunting in children
The detailed report also included figures on stunting in children under the age of five, stating that 43% children in Pakistan in 2010 had stunted growth as compared to 55% in 1990, with 1.1% estimated annual rate of reduction.
With reference to mother's level of formal education and stunted growth in children, the data showed 20% of mothers who received secondary education and above have children with stunted growth, while the percentage rises to 50% for mothers who had received no education.
PHOTO: UN REPORT
In the report, stunting among children was also compared based on whether they lived in rural or urban areas. Around 50% of the children in rural areas had stunted growth as compared to 35% in urban areas.
PHOTO: UN REPORT
Education
In Pakistan, one in three children between the ages of five and nine are not in school, according to the report.
Poverty plays a major role when it comes to education in Pakistan, with a gap of 50 percentage points between the richest and the poorest children.
Highlighting the sad state of affairs of the education system in the country, the report stated that 51% of children in Grade 5 cannot read Grade 2-level text in their local language. Also, 57% of the fifth year of primary education cannot do two-digit division.
When it comes to gender, in rural areas of Pakistan, only 38% of girls can do simple arithmetic compared with 45% of boys. Only 43% of the girls can read as compared to 48% of the boys.
In rich families, the gender gap does not exist when it comes to education.
Just 15% of girls from poorest families can read basic Urdu as compared to 21% of boys from poorest families and 42% of girls from richest families.
PHOTO: UN REPORT