IN parts of Balochistan, deeply entrenched customs continue to determine the fate of women long before they reach adulthood. Among the most troubling practices is what is locally described as a ‘womb contract’, an arrangement in which a girl’s marriage is decided in advance, often without her knowledge or consent. Such agreements reduce a human life to a predetermined obligation, negotiated between families, while the individual most affected remains voiceless. The normalisation of these arrangements reflects a wider pattern of gender inequality that restricts women’s autonomy from childhood.

Educational exclusion further reinforces this marginalisation. Although women constitute nearly half of Balochistan’s population, their representation in universities across the province remains disproportionately low, often limited to 15-20 per cent of total enrolment. Behind these figures lies a systemic denial of opportunity. Many girls are prevented from attending school beyond primary levels, while others are discouraged from pursuing higher education on the grounds of custom, mobility restrictions, or misplaced notions of honour.

The deprivation of education is not just an academic concern; it directly limits women’s economic independence, civic participation and capacity to make informed decisions about their own lives.

Compounding this inequality are reports of transactional marriages in which young girls are married in exchange for money, sometimes for amounts ranging between Rs200,000 and Rs300,000. Poverty, tribal arbitration mechanisms and patriarchal authority structures intersect in ways that commodify daughters, and silence their voices. In certain cases, financial settlements are used to suppress comp-laints or compel families to withdraw support for daughters having faced abuse. Such practices entrench a culture in which endurance is demanded of women, while accountability is evaded by men.

Significant age disparities in marriage arrangements further intensify the existing imbalance of power. Young girls are often married to considerably older men, entering domestic responsibilities without emotional maturity, legal awareness or social support. The resulting vulnerability often isolates these girls within private spheres where abuse or neglect remains unreported and unaddressed. What is defended as culture and tradition becomes, in effect, a system that only perpetuates structural disadvantage.

These customs are sometimes justified through selective religious interpretations, but Islamic principles unequivocally affirm a woman’s right to consent in marriage, to seek education, and to retain dignity and inheritance. To override consent or deny education is not a reflection of faith; it is a distortion of it. Cultural identity cannot be preserved by perpetuating injustice, nor can social stability be secured by silencing half the population.

Balochistan possesses a rich cultural heritage and a proud social fabric, but sustainable progress demands intros-pection. Legal protections against child and forced marriages must be enforced with seriousness. Educational institutions must become accessible and safe for girls across urban and rural districts alike. Mechanisms for reporting abuse must protect complainants rather than expose them to retaliation. Most importantly, community leadership must acknowledge that empowering women strengthens families and enhances social resilience.

A society’s moral authority is measured by how it treats those with the least power. In Balochistan, meaningful advancement will remain elusive until daughters are recognised not as instruments of settlement or symbols of honour, but as equal citizens entitled to education, consent and respect.

Ending practices that commodify and ruthlessly silence women is not an assault on culture; it is a rather necessary step towards due justice and human dignity.

Khateeb Khan & Abdul Noor Khan
Kotli, AJK

Published in Dawn, April 23rd, 2026