PAKISTAN has the sixth highest number globally of girls married before the age of 18. Child marriage is prevalent in the country due to several reasons, including outdated customs and traditions, poverty, lack of awareness and access to education, and lack of security.

After the devastating floods in 2022, the rate of child marriages increased due to climate-driven economic insecurity. Girls in their early teens were married off in exchange for money in villages that were hit hard by the floods in Sindh.

In Khan Mohammad Mallah village of Dadu district, for instance, 45 underage girls have been married since last year’s monsoon rains; 15 of them in May and June this year. Many villages in the agricultural belt of Sindh have still not recovered from the effects of 2022 floods, which displaced millions of people, and destroyed harvests. Parents got their daughters married in exchange for money to protect themselves from poverty.

Child marriage takes away girls’ right to a safe and healthy childhood. It deprives them of quality healthcare and education as well as of decent economic opportunities that have the potential to empower them socially and politically.

According to a 2017 study by the World Bank, child marriage will cost developing countries trillions of dollars by the year 2030. Due to the high incidence of child marriage in Pakistan, it is important to understand the many critical dimensions associated with the trend.

Asif Thebo
Mehar

Published in Dawn, October 1st, 2024