KARACHI: SOC Films and the Legal Aid Society (LAS) have signed a two-year agreement to launch a comprehensive child marriage awareness and advocacy campaign, beginning in Sindh and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP).

Two-time Academy Award-winning filmmaker Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy, founder and CEO of SOC Films, said, “Child marriage persists where silence and legal loopholes intersect. Through our partnership with the Legal Aid Society, SOC Films is using storytelling to spotlight gaps in enforcement and support meaningful reform. By aligning narrative with legal expertise, we aim to strengthen accountability and ensure that every child’s right to protection is upheld in practice, not just on paper.”

According to a press release, the campaign aims to deepen public understanding of child marriage laws while addressing the underlying social, economic and climate-driven factors that continue to drive the practice. Despite existing legal frameworks, implementation gaps, limited awareness, and systemic pressures often allow child marriage to persist - particularly in vulnerable communities.

Haya Emaan Zahid from the LAS added, “Through this partnership with SOC Films, we are combining the power of law, media and community engagement to ensure enforcement, strengthen systems, drive accountability and legislative reform and not just tell their stories, but fight for justice so that every child is safeguarded and protected under the law.”

Over the next two years, the collaboration will roll out multi-platform storytelling, community-based engagement and advocacy efforts designed to ensure widespread awareness and comprehension of the law — and a broader societal understanding of why child marriage continues to occur.

Published in Dawn, March 5th, 2026