Threat to society

Despite being prohibited by the relevant laws enforced in the country, the deplorable practice of child marriages continues unabated in many areas of our country. According to Unicef, there are around 19 million child brides in Pakistan. Binding innocent children into lifelong commitments where they don’t understand what is at stake is a crime. It needs prevention from the state by the implementation of relevant laws that prohibit child marriages along with awareness campaigns highlighting the dangers of child marriages. Child brides are more likely to become pregnant before they are physically able to bear children, increasing risks of post-natal and infant mortality.

For boys, Child marriage brings early fatherhood responsibilities and results in additional economic pressure in the form of providing for the household, which may constrain the boy’s access to education and opportunities for career advancement. Child marriages also negatively affect the society as a whole by leading to widespread lack of access to education and employment and increasing the number of children born into financially unstable families that cannot provide for them.

Sami Ullah

Multan