CHILD MARRIAGES

Child marriage is most widespread among girls in South Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa. One-third of females in developing countries marry before the age of 18, and one in every nine marry before the age of 15. Asia accounts for nearly half (42%) of all child brides worldwide. While there are signs of improvement in reducing child marriages around the world, it is not occurring quickly enough. Approximately 280 million girls are at risk of becoming child brides today, and if nothing is done, this figure could climb to 320 million by 2050.

Child marriages are a violation of human rights

Child marriage takes away a girl’s right to a safe and healthy childhood, a quality and complete education that can lead to decent economic opportunities, and social and political empowerment. Pakistan has the 6th highest number of girls married before the age of 18 in the world. According to UNICEF, a child marriage is a formal or informal union before the age of 18. According to 2014 UNICEF statistics, 700 million women were married before their 18th birthday. Most often, this is the marriage of a young girl to an older boy or man.

Child brides lead a miserable life

Many girls who are married off before the age of 18 or who are pushed into early marriages are compelled to drop out of school.

This violates the girls' right to an education and future independence. Domestic abuse is also more common among child brides. Young girls who are married off are more likely to become pregnant early and bear children when they are still physically immature. They are more likely to die as a result of pregnancy and childbirth problems. According to the World Health Organization, their babies have a lower chance of survival as well. Child brides with children may be psychologically immature and ill-equipped to be moms at such a young age.

Causes of Child Marriages

Child marriage is frequently the outcome of a society's deep-seated gender inequities, traditional rituals, and customs. There are numerous reasons for early marriages in Pakistan. And those are the causes: extremely weak legislation; a lack of enforcement of existing laws; children being treated as commodities/slaves; a tribal and feudal structure of society; a lack of public awareness about the harmful effects of child marriages; extreme poverty; internal trafficking; and a lack of will on the part of the government.

Family honor 

Many societies, such as Pakistan, have a close relationship between female chastity and family honor, which forces family members to marry girls at a young age to avoid sexual offenses and the resulting damage to the family's reputation. Daughters are thus married off at a young age to relieve parents of their "burden."

The rituals 

Marriages take place in unusual circumstances known as dand or bada in Sindh, vani in Punjab, and swara in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and tribal areas. To settle a blood feud between the two parties, an accused family gives its girl or girls in marriage to an aggrieved family. Another ritual in Pakistan, known as swara or vani, involves local elders marrying off females to settle family conflicts or unpaid debts. Similarly, the practice of watta satta (bartering bride for bride) has been blamed for child marriages in Pakistan.

What is needed?

There must be a legal system in place to deal with overall marriages and, in particular, the issue of child marriages among Pakistan's non-Muslim minorities. All religious minority groups execute and record weddings in accordance with their religious practices, with no regard for the age of the children. The poor and unresponsive birth registration system in Pakistan is a major contributor to child marriage. Priority should be given to birth registration for children, particularly girls. This eliminates the possibility of manipulating the age of the child/girls at the time of marriage. Furthermore, central, independent, and powerful child rights bodies must be established to monitor child rights breaches, particularly the issue of child marriages.

Author: Amna Waseem

amnawaseem126@gmail.com

Resources

https://www.unfpa.org/child-marriage

https://www.unicef.org/rosa/what-we-do/child-protection/child-marriage

https://asiapacific.unwomen.org/en/digital-library/publications/2021/01/child-marriage-in-pakistan-a-report-on-punjab-and-khyber-pakhtunkhwa-2020

http://www.isj.org.pk/child-marriages-in-pakistan/

https://www.savethechildren.org/us/charity-stories/child-marriage-a-violation-of-child-rights