SOME traditions that hinder individual progress are a heavy cross for society to bear. In Pakistan’s deeply patriarchal environment, where a female child’s agency is determined by her biological age, President Asif Zardari’s assent to the Islamabad Capital Territory Child Marriage Restraint Bill, 2025, despite resistance from the Council of Islamic Ideology — which said that classifying under-18 marriages as rape was in conflict with religious law — deserves applause. Pakistan, where some 19m girls are married off before they turn 18, is home to the sixth highest number of child brides in the world. Almost half of these youngsters become pregnant before the age of 18, and a mere 13pc complete secondary school. The bill is now law; however, its desperately needed implementation will depend on the government’s political commitment to safeguarding the girl child’s right to health, education and opportunities to realise their potential.

The lethal mix of regressive customs and socioeconomic distress leads to early marriage. The new video campaign from Unicef, featuring its National Ambassador for Child Rights, actor Saba Qamar, is a timely move that promises to reach scores, open minds and drive change. It encourages society to question the practice, spells out the consequences of underage nuptials for girls and calls for the empowerment and protection of young females in Pakistan. Child marriage is no child’s play; it means lost childhoods, vulnerability to domestic violence, death during childbirth, poor health and even cervical cancer; the second most common cancer among females between 15 and 44 years. As a signatory to the Convention on the Rights of the Child, Pakistan cannot afford lethargy. It is also hoped that lawmakers will not allow conservative sections to hold constitutional liberties, including the safety and dignity of women and children, hostage to their whims. The CII has an advisory role, and there should be no pressure on lawmakers to comply with all its wishes.

Published in Dawn, May 31st, 2025