Underage Marriages: A Social Problem By Faiza Mehmood

Underage Marriages: A Social Problem

By: Faiza Mehmood

Early marriages take a terrible toll on young lives. The maternal mortality ratio in Afghanistan, Pakistan and other areas where early marriages are condoned, is unacceptably high.

According to a latest report of UNICEF, more than a third of the world's child brides are from India. In Pakistan, figure is high but most of the cases are not reported. There are a number of cases where age of the girl arise questions to avoid underage.

In India, reason might be poverty, but in our country the main reason is to settle disputes. This is a practice of forcing girl children into arranged marriages as compensation for a murder perpetrated by her family, to offset debts, or to settle other inter-clan or family disputes.

This practice is called Swara, in other regions it is known as Vanni and Chattii. Whatever it is called, compensation marriages are highly accepted as a way of keeping the peace between tribes and families. However, an under-aged girl torn from their homes in this manner often end up systematically abused and forced into a life of virtual slavery in the homes of their “enemies” says a research.

It is strange that generally, such disputes arise from honour killing; hence innocent girl has to pay price for the sin committed by her elders.

Children in rural areas are more likely to become young brides, due to unawareness and hard customs.

This practice continues despite the fact that the practice pre-dates Islam and violates Islamic matrimonial law which states that marriages require the consent of both parties. After growing complaints from Saudi Arabia has constituted a committee to protect underage girls from being coerced into controversial marriages with much older men.

In a country, like Pakistan underage marriages create another problem. Child marriage has serious consequences for national development, stunting education and vocational opportunities for a large sector of the population. The education of girls remains incomplete. The underage girl has no experience of life, which is required for running the affairs of family life.

Sindh Minister for Women Development Tauqeer Fatima Bhutto along with women Members of Sindh Assembly at a meeting on underage marriages of girls has rightly said that the marriages of underage girls cause increase in health, education and financial problems. Minimum age limit for marriage should be 18 years and the society will have to create diversity in its vision and behavior regarding this matter.

A number of researches have  been conducted on these issues, which reveal that such marriages result into number of social problems, which really affects the characters of our society. Therefore, such marriages should be stopped and discouraged. The government should make such policies and laws. Those who arrange under age marriage should be strictly punished and fined so as to mitigate the ratio of underage marriages.

Underage Marriages: A Social Problem By Faiza Mehmood