Child Marriage In Pakistan

Child marriage is practiced in some parts of Pakistan, with the highest prevalence in the Sindh province. It disproportionately affects the girl child.Goonesekere, Savitri, Children, Law and Justice: A south Asian Perspective, p. 20. According to UNICEF report from 2018, around 18% of the girls in Pakistan are married before the age of 18 giving it the lowest rate of child marriage in South Asia after Sri Lanka. Child marriage occurs most often in rural and the primary driving factor is poverty among the low-income households where education is minimal.

Causes for Child Marriages

Early and child marriage are directly attributable to deep-rooted gender inequalities, traditional practices, and customs.

The close relationship between female chastity and family honour forces family members to marry girls at an early age to prevent sexual transgressions and consequent damage to family reputation. The conceptualization of the girl child as ‘other’s property’ who has to eventually move to her husband’s home prevents parents from investing in their daughter’s education and daughters thus are married off at an early age to relieve parents of their ‘burden'.Child rights in Pakistan by Anees Jillani and Zarina Jillani, p. 38.

The problem of child marriage is at times justified on the basis of religious foundations. Historically, it can be explained as a reaction to invasions by foreigners; desire to perpetuate the cult of the family by marrying the son early; by marrying the daughter early to escape the discredit caused to the family by the presence of grown-up maiden; or by desire of the mother to marry her son early so that she may sooner obtain the possession of a daughter-in-law in whom the mother could inculcate her habits of obedience and who could share the domestic chores with the mother. In the case of parents, sometimes it is due to their keenness to relieve themselves of the responsibility of marrying their daughter. They are also considered socially acceptable for reasons of responsibility and economically desirable for saving marriage expenses, bride price/ dowry. Williams, L.F, Rushbrook, ''India in 1919; A report Prepared for Presentation to Parliament in accordance with the requirements of section 26 of the Government of India Act'' Calcutta, 1920, p. 125.

In certain situations, it is known as dand or bada in Sindh, vani in Punjab, and swara in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and the tribal areas. In this practice, an accused family gives its girl or girls in marriage to an aggrieved family to settle a blood feud between the two parties.

In addition to being covered by the Child Marriage Restraint Act 1929, such marriages are also covered by section 310-A of the PPC (Pakistan Penal Code 1860), and are liable to be imprisoned up to a term of seven years but not less than three years and liable to a fine of Rs 500,000.

At times, women and girl children are deprived of their property rights by symbolically marrying them to the Quran. This ensures that the girl child will not bear children in the future and will not demand her rightful share in the family property. Sometimes poor parents who cannot afford to marry their daughters rely on this symbolic arrangement.

Section 498-C of the PPC prohibits marriage with the Quran. A person found guilty of arranging, facilitating or compelling such marriage of a female is liable imprisoned for a period extending to seven years but not less than three years and a fine of up to Rs 500,000.

Exchange marriage or Watta Satta is also practiced in many parts of Pakistan. In a watta satta arrangement, both families trade brides. Both families must have a daughter and a son and must be willing to betroth them to the daughter and son of the other family. Watta satta marriages put females in a precarious position as a divorce between one of the couples may trigger a divorce between the other couple because of strong sibling ties. Such marriages are a crime if child marriages are involved in the arrangement.

Section 498-B of the PPC prohibits forced marriages and makes it an offense, punishable with imprisonment extending to seven years but not less than three years and liable to a fine of Rs 500,000.

Generally, a person accused of deceitfully preventing a woman from inheriting property is punishable under section 498-A of the PPC with an imprisonment extending to ten years but not less than five years and a fine of rupees one million or both.

Another custom in Pakistan, called ''swara'' or ''vani'', involves village elders solving family disputes or settling unpaid debts by marrying off girls. The average marriage age of ''swara'' girls is between 5 and 9. Similarly, the custom of watta satta

HOME


Content is Copyleft
Website design, code, and AI is Copyrighted (c) 2014-2017 by Stephen Payne


Consider donating to Wikimedia



As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases