Child marriage refers to an unlawful and illegal practice in which boys and girls are married off before they reach the minimum age of adulthood. Internationally, underage marriage is considered as a criminal practice and human rights violation. In Pakistan, there is also a federal Child Marriage Restraint Act 2015 which clearly fixes marriageable age for both genders at 18.
According to UNICEF figures, 12 million girls marry before the age of 18 each year.
If we don’t act now, more than 150 million girls will become child brides by 2030. It may seem difficult to find tangible solutions for tackling socio-cultural drivers of social issues but we must do something in this regard.
While it is essential for laws to be put into place and implemented, we need to also call upon the government to take additional measures to address the issue of child marriage by focusing on increasing school enrolment, educating communities about the harmful impact of child marriage and providing youth with healthy recreational outlets. Otherwise, the law alone will never be able to curb the practice.
VANEEZA KHAN,
Rawalpindi.