Equal marriages

Too often, marriages are arranged without real consideration for compatibility. Parents choose partners based on tradition or convenience, not emotional or intellectual alignment. Many girls end up in stifling homes, stripped of their autonomy, education and even dignity. What’s worse is the silence of many parents who, after marrying off their daughters, urge them to ‘adjust’ instead of offering real help. This pressure can become deadly, pushing women toward depression or even suicide.

Marriage, like any institution, needs foundation, mutual respect, understanding and compatibility. None of these thrive in an environment of fear, inequality or forced silence. Parents must take responsibility. They must ensure nikkah contracts reflect genuine protection, financial security and legal safeguards. We must stop treating marriage as an end and start treating it as a lifelong partnership.

Syed Rehman Hayder

Chiniot