Child Marriage in Pakistan
Pakistan is the world’s sixth most populous country, with an estimated 184.35 million people and a 2% annual growth rate. Children account for around 48 percent of this total. A large percentage of these youngsters, mostly females, get married at a young age, as young as seven years old. Due to a lack of effective documentation and data gathering, accurate numbers of child or early marriages are unavailable.
Early or child marriages are caused by a variety of factors in Pakistan, the most common of which are weak legislation and a lack of enforcement of existing laws. Birth registration for children, particularly females, is never categorized, allowing for the manipulation of the child’s or girls’ age at the time of marriage. There are no central, impartial, or powerful child rights bodies to oversee child rights breaches, such as child marriages.
The Prevention of Anti-Women Practices (Criminal Law Amendment) Act was passed by Pakistan’s Parliament. This also described the consequences of anti-social activities like as forced marriages, Wanni, Swara, and Budla-i-Sulh, in which women (girls) are traded to settle personal, familial, or tribe problems. The Act’s offences are both non-bailable and non-compoundable. The Child Marriage Restraint Amendment Bill has been in the works since 2009 but has yet to be approved.
In Pakistan, there is no regulatory structure to deal with all marriages, particularly underage marriages among non-Muslim minorities. Marriages are performed and registered according to religious norms by all religious minorities, with no regard for the age of the children.The former federal administration lobbied coalition partners for the passage of the Hindu Marriage Bill Which prohibited girls and boys under the age of 18 from marrying.
Legislators must make changes to the legislation to make the penalties more severe. The perpetrator faces a fine of Rs 1000 or a month in prison if the Act is broken. When young children are involved in a marriage, the adults who agreed to the marriage are penalized, but the marriage is not dissolved. As is customary, the law’s execution is non-existent.
Legislators must make changes to the legislation to make the penalties more severe. The perpetrator faces a fine of Rs 1000 or a month in prison if the Act is broken. When young children are involved in a marriage, the adults who agreed to the marriage are notified, but the marriage is not dissolved. As is typical, the law’s execution is non-existent.
Pakistan’s National Education Policy developed in accordance with the Education for All and National Development Plan concentrates on closing the gender gap in education. Governments have launched literacy campaigns, with a focus on promoting elementary education for girls in rural areas. To lower the dropout rate and gender gap, the government offered scholarships for impoverished girl students. Geo TV, a private media outlet, has started a special educational campaign.
At the federal and provincial levels, the Child Marriage Restraint (Amendment) Bill should be passed. Child weddings should have a minimum sentence of two years in prison and a fine of at least Rs 100,000. The legal age for boys and girls to marry should be the same 18 years old. A child marriage survey or a population census should be carried out. CSOs should work with the government to educate the public about the dangers of child marriage.
WRITTEN BY:
MAHNOOR BHATTI
