Schoolwork or housework? This is the choice millions of girls as young as age 9 don't get to make because they are married off to men for money, to pay off debts, to not be a disappointment to the family name.
All over Pakistan child marriage is a huge issue. One big reason young girls are married off is for money, maybe because their families are financially struggling or they want to invest in something. It's very easy for them to sell off their daughter as it can bring in a lot of money. Sometimes girls are married off to pay off debt. For example if her brother (or anyone for that matter) commits a crime, the debts can be paid off by marrying their sister off into, basically, what can be called modern day slavery for the young girls have no say in this whatsoever.
Another reason is the old mindset and how people haven't progressed. Some people don't realise how times change and how they have to change with that as well. They always can't think like they once did or how their grandparents did. Times before were very different but as our bodies have evolved girls’ bodies are becoming more incapable of bearing children at such young ages, which they are forced to do, resulting in miscarriages, their health and bodies deteriorating and, in the end, resulting in them being blamed for it.
One more sickening reason is that most people see that to have a daughter is a “burden” or a “shame” so all they’re doing is getting rid of this so called “burden”.
Many people are being affected by this especially girls and this has many long term dangerous effects. Most of these young girls end up getting physically abused on a daily basis which causes their underdeveloped bodies to be ruined forever and sometimes even to an extent where they can't go back. This can cause many health issues, diseases, some people can't bear children as their bodies are “broken".
Child marriage usually leads to child pregnancy which can lead to extra hormones and as girls are in their teens and pubescent years with already so many changes going on this can lead to extreme mental health issues.
Another effect is not being able to take care of your own children where you need to take care of yourself.
Other effects also include not having a proper childhood, education, domestic violence and abuse (physical and mental) and poverty.
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The heart wrenching story of how millions of lives are ruined by underage kids being married off and forced into a new life against their wills.
Momina Rizvi of Grade 8 B, investigates the root causes and effects of Child Labour on young girls in this feature article and advocates solutions to end this ordeal.
Shown above, KARACHI: 12 year old Sidra, getting married to 41 yr old, Muhammad Aslam. 2017, as her family were in debt and were paid 250,000 to get her married.
"At UNICEF, we believe that child marriage is a form of violence against children. Our aim is to avert 500,000 child marriages in the region by 2021.”
Shown above KPK: 13 year old Masooma with her 7 month daughter who was born a year after her marriage.
UNICEF says over a million girls, yearly, are affected by child marriage and around 60,000 die during childbirth.
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Companies like UNICEF have helped bring a change with their child protection, child marriage program where they hope to avert 50,000 child marriages by the year 2030 in South Asia. “At UNICEF, we believe that child marriage is a form of violence against children. Our aim is to avert 500,000 child marriages in the region by 2021.”
The Pakistani Government has tried introducing new bills but they always seem to fail because of Sharia laws. Senator Sherry Rehman suggests bringing changes amendments to the Child Marriage Restraint Act, 1929. The bill seeks to completely ban marriage before the age of 18 but, sadly, it never goes through.
International companies like girlsnotbrides.org also help raise awareness and money for child marriage and they have been successful in raising awareness about victim stories and actually averting marriages in some areas.
What locally can be done by the civilians is to educate and apply fines. We have to help erase the old mindset and introduce new ideologies to the people who haven't progressed yet.
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The government can actually enforce the fines applied and look more into enforcing the already existing laws. And, finally, lawmakers can help pass the bills that ensure the safety of the girls and eventually eradicate child marriage.
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