In South Asia, 1 out of every 4 young women often marries against their will. Unicef predicts that it will take the region at least 55 years to completely eradicate child marriages in light of the sobering statistics. And the South Asian nations will need to increase their efforts seven times if they want to reach their 2030 goal of ending child marriage. Although Pakistani authorities have taken a number of actions to reduce child marriages, much more needs to be done to provide young women and girls with a safe environment.
Having a national uniform policy ought to be the first step. The age of marriage in Pakistan is currently 18, but the Punjab government has lowered it to 16, making it possible for most people to travel there to get married and avoid the law. Although child marriages have decreased in the nation—at least 18% of women are married as children, compared to a global average of 19%—the problem still demands the full focus of policymakers. Parents of the brides and grooms are the main opponents of reforms aimed at ending child marriage.
Pakistani society is distinctive for its people’s insistence on adhering to time-honored, conservative customs.
Most parents are in favour of early marriages, and in some cases, such marriages are held to ensure that the girl’s inheritance stays within the family. Amid all this, girls suffer the most – from abuse and violence to health issues caused by early pregnancies and a lack of care.
However, the problems women face in society are also a result of these ostensibly shocking preferences. Women frequently experience sexual harassment at home, but it goes unreported. The majority of mothers, who are also victims of a cycle of abuse and harassment, believe it is more appropriate to arrange for their daughters to get married than to allow them to remain vulnerable at home. Because they are trapped between the devil and the sea of deep blue.
Without addressing these problems, no reforms will be successful, and all efforts to end child marriages will continue to move backward. The first step in reform should be to challenge the patriarchal norms that both men and women use to defend child marriage.
Additionally, efforts should be made to inspire women to develop their identities and make marriage a component of those identities rather than centering their entire lives around it. Schools ought to provide scholarships for female students who leave school early because their parents would rather save for their wedding than pay for their education.
The most important step, however, is to take strict steps against scholars and televangelists who irresponsibly use their platform to promote child marriages. We have ordinary men posing as learned scholars encouraging parents to accept the practice of early marriages. These videos – easily available on social media and video-sharing platforms – have millions of views, and their content remains unchallenged. The government cannot turn a blind eye to such preachers who ensure that women remain oppressed under patriarchy. There should be absolutely no leniency for people who promote such norms that have a negative effect on young women and girls.
