ISLAMABAD  -  National Commission on the Rights of the Child (NCRC) has launched a social media awareness campaign against early child marriages and its harmful impacts on the society.  

Talking to APP on Thursday, an official of NCRC informed that the purpose of the campaign was to highlight Pakistan’s national and international commitments regarding child rights as well various gaps in the prevailing laws. The official observed that Pakistan is over legislated country however there are many hurdles in implementation of various laws.

However, the present government is working to address and overcome systematic and societal challenges in the way of implementation of such laws.

“Lack of education is also one of the major contributing factors in the early marriage of children in Pakistan which needs to be addressed”, the official said. Pakistan is ranked as the 6th highest in the world in early girl marriages (before 18 years) while 71 percent of girls in family do not have any say in who and when they will marry, the official added. The NCRC in Pakistan is a statutory body tasked with promoting and protecting children’s rights in accordance with national laws and international conventions like the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC), which Pakistan has ratified. The official highlighted the NCRC role in addressing one of the critical issues of early child marriages, a persistent problem in Pakistan, especially in rural areas.

He said that the NCRC advocates for the implementation and enforcement of laws like the Child Marriage Restraint Act, 1929, which sets the legal age of marriage at 18 for boys and 16 for girls, but calls for an increase in the legal age for girls to 18 in line with international standards, the official said.

The Commission also pushes for the harmonization of child marriage laws across Pakistan, as different provinces have varying legal ages for marriage. For instance, Sindh has set the minimum age for marriage at 18, while other provinces still allow girls to marry at 16.

The NCRC runs awareness campaigns to highlight the negative impacts of child marriages on health, education, and the overall development of children, particularly girls.

The official informed that these campaigns often focus on changing societal norms and educating communities about the importance of delaying marriage until the legal age.

The NCRC works closely with provincial governments, law enforcement agencies, and civil society organizations to monitor and report cases of child marriages.

It collaborates with NGOs to ensure that children who are at risk of early marriage or who have already been married off are provided with support, including education, shelter, and rehabilitation services. When cases of early marriages are reported, the NCRC intervenes to ensure that the marriage is prevented or annulled and that the child is returned to school.

The Commission also provides legal aid and psychological support to children rescued from early marriages.

The NCRC conducts research and gathers data on child marriages to understand the scope and scale of the issue. This research is used to develop policies and recommend reforms to the government.

The NCRC works with international organizations like UNICEF and Save the Children to align Pakistan’s policies on child marriage with international standards and to gain technical and financial support for its initiatives.