KALLAR SYEDAN:
In an impactful awareness session organized by PODA at the Tehsil Municipal Corporation hall, participants unanimously supported a proposed amendment to the Child Marriage Restriction Act, 2015.
The amendment seeks to increase the minimum age of marriage for girls from 16 to 18 years, ensuring a safer and more empowering future for girls in Punjab. This proposed change aims to protect the fundamental rights of adolescent girls, including access to education, reproductive health and employment opportunities, ultimately contributing to the broader development and progress of the country.
The session was part of PODA’s three-year project, “Reducing early marriages to improve gender equality”, supported by the Norwegian Embassy in Islamabad.
The session attracted a diverse group of participants including academicians, members of the Tehsil Bar Council, health professionals and government officials from various departments such as education, health, people’s welfare and local government. Representatives of the union council, media, youth groups, nikah registrars, religious scholars and the Municipal Committee also participated in the event.
Lawyer Khawaja Zahid Nasim presented a detailed description of the existing laws on child marriages, citing the Constitution of Pakistan. He highlighted a landmark judgment of the Lahore High Court, which declared unconstitutional the definition of “child” contained in Section 2(a) of the Child Marriage Restriction Act, 1929. He also noted that the Sindh Child Marriage Restriction Act sets the legal age of marriage, for both girls and boys, at 18 years. Furthermore, he noted that approximately 40 Muslim countries have set 18 as the minimum age of marriage for girls to combat child marriages.
Nabeela Aslam, project director of PODA, stressed that child marriages represent a serious violation of human and children’s rights. He emphasized that such marriages deprive children of their childhood, education and opportunities for economic empowerment. It also noted that underage marriages disproportionately affect vulnerable girls, who are often malnourished, illiterate and unable to defend their rights. This makes them especially susceptible to domestic violence, as they lack the means to defend themselves.
Lawyer Bano Jahangir highlighted the importance of timely registration of the nikah, pointing out a common problem where underage marriages are often not registered. He explained that when children are born from these unregistered marriages, complications are created in the legitimization of the unions, highlighting the need for rapid registration.
Dr Mariam Nawaz, a doctor at the Central Tehsil Hospital, discussed the alarming health consequences of child marriages. He explained that these marriages cause an increase in early pregnancies, maternal mortality, school dropouts and exposure to violence. He highlighted the urgent need to address these issues, citing the devastating cycle of anemia, maternal and infant mortality, low birth weight and impaired mental development caused by child marriages.
