ISLAMABAD: According to Unicef, Pakistan is home to over 19 million child brides, with nearly 1 in 6 young women married before the age of 18. As many as 4.8m girls were married before the age of 15, underscoring the urgency of coordinated national action.

Despite constitutional protections, disparities in legal marriage age persist across provinces, with only Sindh and the Islamabad Capital Territory enforcing 18 as the minimum age for girls, a gap that continues to expose millions to early pregnancies, domestic violence, and educational exclusion.

It was informed during the National Civil Society Dialogue and Dissemination Event on the Ending Child, Early, and Forced Marriage (CEFM) project. Civil society leaders, parliamentarians, child protection experts, youth advocates, and government representatives attended the event organised by Strengthening Participatory Organisation (SPO) with support from the US Department of State and Save the Children.

Country Director of Save the Children, Khurram Gondal, said: “True change requires more than policies; it demands consistency, commitment, and the collective efforts of government, civil society, and local partners.”

Manager for the CEFM program at SPO, Jamil Asgher Bhatti, revealed that a recent analysis in Sindh and Balochistan found nearly 60 per cent of respondents were married before the age of 18.

Senator retired Javed Jabbar applauded the effort as “a critical step toward empowering girls and safeguarding their future”, highlighting Pakistan’s proud history of trailblazing women leaders such as Fatima Jinnah and Benazir Bhutto, figures who “would never have achieved such milestones had they been married off at a young age”. He further emphasised that “we must not wait for foreign funding to drive such efforts; the resolve to protect our children must come from within”.

Chief Executive of SPO Ms Arifa Mazhar urged stakeholders to move beyond a project-based approach toward a sustained, community-driven movement.

“This is not just a project, it is a collective mission,” she said, thanking partners, youth leaders, and Save the Children for their collaboration, and affirming that “this is not the end, but the beginning of a new chapter in the fight against child marriage”.

Published in Dawn, September 21st, 2025