Fighting an uphill battle: Taking on the menace of child marriage
SPARC launches campaign to raise awareness about underage unions.
SIALKOT:
The society for the protection of the rights of the child (SPARC) has launched a new two-week campaign in the district to raise awareness against child marriages.
SPARC regional manager Sajjad Cheema told The Express Tribune that the awareness campaign was aimed at educating people about right of children. “Very few people are even aware that children are guaranteed rights under international laws. That they have an integral right to education and a choice with regards to marriage,” he said. Cheema said that the rising number of child marriages in Southern Punjab was an alarming trend. “We have petitioned the authorities to examine the official registry records of all child marriages in this and other districts,” he said, adding “we need to know the numbers we are dealing with.” Cheema said that child marriage was a violation of a child’s integral right to choose their partner. “People violate this right without even considering it a violation,” said another SPARC volunteer Mehmoona Sadiq, adding “often it is justified under ‘culture’ and people even think this to be in keeping with religious traditions. Islam does not allow marriage of young girls without their consent.” Police officials and the district coordination officer (DCO) Mujahid Sher Dil said that they appreciated SPARC’s efforts in this regard. “This problem unfortunately won’t go away in days or even years but we need to begin to do something,” he said, adding “Child marriages happen everyday, sometimes they are registered and sometimes they aren’t because of panchayat decisions.” Saddar police station house officer (SHO) Iqbal Warraich said “The only way to stamp out this trend is to arrest people who are caught trying to contract a marriage with a minor.” “Sadly the people usually involved are the immediate family and the little girls are often wed to old men in private ceremonies,” he said. The SHO welcomed SPARC’s decision to investigate registered child marriages “If this is done, it will help us pursue old cases and that in its self will act as a warning for people. It could help reduce the trend.”
“We are trying to create awareness through radio, seminars and literature that marrying a girl or boy below the age of 16 and 18 (for women and men) respectively is a crime,” Cheema said. He said that SPARC was also lobbying to fix the minimum age for all citizens at 18 years. “The minimum age for a girl to marry is 16 while for boy its 18years. Not only is this gender discrimination but the fact that the punishment for such a violation is only one month (optional) imprisonment and a Rs1000 fine means that the issue is often overlooked,” he added.
Replying to why SPARC had launched its campaign from Sialkot, Cheema said that various incidents of rape and child marriages were reported from the district and the organisation felt this was an important place to make a stand. “The campaign will be launched across the country,” he added. Cheema said that they were training police to sensitise them on the cases involving child marriages. “We have held two workshops in Silakot,” he maintained. When asked whether SPARC had obtained any data of child marriages he said, “We are gathering the data and that will be published in our annual report in 2011”.
Published in The Express Tribune, December 13th, 2010.
The society for the protection of the rights of the child (SPARC) has launched a new two-week campaign in the district to raise awareness against child marriages.
SPARC regional manager Sajjad Cheema told The Express Tribune that the awareness campaign was aimed at educating people about right of children. “Very few people are even aware that children are guaranteed rights under international laws. That they have an integral right to education and a choice with regards to marriage,” he said. Cheema said that the rising number of child marriages in Southern Punjab was an alarming trend. “We have petitioned the authorities to examine the official registry records of all child marriages in this and other districts,” he said, adding “we need to know the numbers we are dealing with.” Cheema said that child marriage was a violation of a child’s integral right to choose their partner. “People violate this right without even considering it a violation,” said another SPARC volunteer Mehmoona Sadiq, adding “often it is justified under ‘culture’ and people even think this to be in keeping with religious traditions. Islam does not allow marriage of young girls without their consent.” Police officials and the district coordination officer (DCO) Mujahid Sher Dil said that they appreciated SPARC’s efforts in this regard. “This problem unfortunately won’t go away in days or even years but we need to begin to do something,” he said, adding “Child marriages happen everyday, sometimes they are registered and sometimes they aren’t because of panchayat decisions.” Saddar police station house officer (SHO) Iqbal Warraich said “The only way to stamp out this trend is to arrest people who are caught trying to contract a marriage with a minor.” “Sadly the people usually involved are the immediate family and the little girls are often wed to old men in private ceremonies,” he said. The SHO welcomed SPARC’s decision to investigate registered child marriages “If this is done, it will help us pursue old cases and that in its self will act as a warning for people. It could help reduce the trend.”
“We are trying to create awareness through radio, seminars and literature that marrying a girl or boy below the age of 16 and 18 (for women and men) respectively is a crime,” Cheema said. He said that SPARC was also lobbying to fix the minimum age for all citizens at 18 years. “The minimum age for a girl to marry is 16 while for boy its 18years. Not only is this gender discrimination but the fact that the punishment for such a violation is only one month (optional) imprisonment and a Rs1000 fine means that the issue is often overlooked,” he added.
Replying to why SPARC had launched its campaign from Sialkot, Cheema said that various incidents of rape and child marriages were reported from the district and the organisation felt this was an important place to make a stand. “The campaign will be launched across the country,” he added. Cheema said that they were training police to sensitise them on the cases involving child marriages. “We have held two workshops in Silakot,” he maintained. When asked whether SPARC had obtained any data of child marriages he said, “We are gathering the data and that will be published in our annual report in 2011”.
Published in The Express Tribune, December 13th, 2010.