Pakistan Should End Child Marriage

[Divergent]

Pakistan’s Senate chose to mark the United Nations International Day of the Girl Child this week in an unusual way: by rejecting a bill that would have raised the minimum age for girls to marry from 16 to 18. The grounds for rejection? Apparently the proposed amendment was “contrary to religious injunctions,” said the Senate Standing Committee on Interior.

The UN children’s fund says 21 percent of Pakistani girls are married by the age of 18, and 3 percent before 15. Child marriage tends to occur in the country’s most marginalized and vulnerable communities, and has devastating consequences. Children who marry find their childhoods cut short and their education abandoned, as girls take on housework and boys struggle to provide for families they are too young to have. Married children become parents too soon, and girls face serious health risks, including death, due to early pregnancy. Married girls are also at higher risk of domestic violence, including marital rape, than women who marry later.

So why is Pakistan dragging its feet? The current law sets the legal age of marriage at 16 for girls and 18 for boys, which violates Pakistan’s obligations under international law in two ways: first by permitting marriage too early, and secondly by setting different marriage ages for girls and boys. But even this law is rarely enforced, as the Pakistani courts often interpret Sharia (Islamic law) instead, which allows any girl who has gone through puberty to marry.

Some provincial governments have legislated on this issue to try to improve matters, setting higher minimum ages for marriage and harsher penalties for those who arrange or conduct child marriages. But Sharia law is still preferred by the Pakistani courts.

The Pakistani government needs to prohibit underage marriage, and remove the confusion between religious interpretations and federal and provincial laws. Pakistani girls need equality, decent education, and good health care. They don’t need husbands. On the International Day of the Girl, Pakistan’s parliament failed its girls once again.

Source: https://www.hrw.org/news/2017/10/12/pakistan-should-end-child-marriage

 

[Valar.]

Minimum age for marriage should be 21 and only 2 kids should be allowed with mandatory high school education. Women should be encouraged in work force especially the educated chicks sitting at home wasting degrees and waiting for good Rishta(proposal).

 

[YeBeWarned]

World should end Child marriages ..

 

[Thəorətic Muslim]

World should end Child marriages ..

Would Pakistan join?

If it would why not just pass a law itself?

 

[Ahmet Pasha]

Islam used to allow marriage of girls and boys at around 15 and 16. Because culturally, socially and economically it used to make sense. But all those dynamics have changed so the minimum age of marriage should be raised slightly.

 

[YeBeWarned]

Would Pakistan join?

If it would why not just pass a law itself?

I have no idea, but this Practice should end every where .

 

[Safriz]

Islam used to allow marriage of girls and boys at around 15 and 16. Because culturally, socially and economically it used to make sense. But all those dynamics have changed so the minimum age of marriage should be raised slightly.

Islam allows marriage at puberty, which can come as early as 9 for a girl and 11 for a boy.
With puberty comes hormones and with hormones comes urges. Thats why Islam allows marriage at puberty whenever it comes and has no age limits.

 

[RoadRunner401]

Pakistan’s Senate chose to mark the United Nations International Day of the Girl Child this week in an unusual way: by rejecting a bill that would have raised the minimum age for girls to marry from 16 to 18. The grounds for rejection? Apparently the proposed amendment was “contrary to religious injunctions,” said the Senate Standing Committee on Interior.

The UN children’s fund says 21 percent of Pakistani girls are married by the age of 18, and 3 percent before 15. Child marriage tends to occur in the country’s most marginalized and vulnerable communities, and has devastating consequences. Children who marry find their childhoods cut short and their education abandoned, as girls take on housework and boys struggle to provide for families they are too young to have. Married children become parents too soon, and girls face serious health risks, including death, due to early pregnancy. Married girls are also at higher risk of domestic violence, including marital rape, than women who marry later.

So why is Pakistan dragging its feet? The current law sets the legal age of marriage at 16 for girls and 18 for boys, which violates Pakistan’s obligations under international law in two ways: first by permitting marriage too early, and secondly by setting different marriage ages for girls and boys. But even this law is rarely enforced, as the Pakistani courts often interpret Sharia (Islamic law) instead, which allows any girl who has gone through puberty to marry.

Some provincial governments have legislated on this issue to try to improve matters, setting higher minimum ages for marriage and harsher penalties for those who arrange or conduct child marriages. But Sharia law is still preferred by the Pakistani courts.

The Pakistani government needs to prohibit underage marriage, and remove the confusion between religious interpretations and federal and provincial laws. Pakistani girls need equality, decent education, and good health care. They don’t need husbands. On the International Day of the Girl, Pakistan’s parliament failed its girls once again.

Source: https://www.hrw.org/news/2017/10/12/pakistan-should-end-child-marriage

If it would why not just pass a law itself?

In England, Wales and Northern Ireland, you can get married from the age of 16 if you have parental consent. However, without parental consent, you can get married once you reach the age of 18. In Scotland, you can get married from the age of 16, with or without parental consent.
https://www.mylawyer.co.uk/the-law-on-getting-married-a-A76051D76350/

Just one question, it's OK for girls to get married in England at the age of 16, but Pakistani girls doing the same with parental consent is wrong?

1000s upon 1000s of teenage girls are single mothers in England and other European countries, yet a girl getting married at the age of 18 is wrong when it happens in Pakistan and it's news worthy...................Really!!!

 

[AZADPAKISTAN2009]

Humans mature at faster pace as under natural cirumstances in past , Human average age used to be around 30-35 years. May be 40. Things have changed due to various medicines being discovered, reduction in fatal deaths in childhood

Biologically (Scientific reason)
Puberty usually occurs in girls between the ages of 10 and 14, while in boys it generally occurs later, between the ages of 12 and 16

In modern times there are self imposed laws , and these can be changed according to the popupation size. There is more or less a political reason for any modification.

I am ok with how Nature desigend humans biologically

Typically in modern times the age when someone earns a living occurs beyong 20 years od so trend has become to delay certain aspect of life, it is just a trend

Modern age trend is tied to earning a living vs when it is ok to settle down however in many societies of world in past people were active hunterers or farmers at young ages.

There is no scientific reason behind it just that , if you hold on to being in marrige you might have more time to take a loan to go to University or College it is all about Economy

I often see people shaming folks who are young who may have a marrige or may have a child , it is a bit too much interference in people's personal lives

Reality:

• If you get married too early people have a problem before even got educated
  
• If you get married too late , people have problem look at him has every thing but not married
  
• If you get married at right age , then boy he picked an ugly girl to get married to

I modern times perhaps we can argue having a bit more time to study and complete highschool is good prior to getting married but realistically we all know once you hit puberty you start to get attracted to opposite member of society there are always chance of being involved in a messy situation and heart break

 

[Divergent]

In England, Wales and Northern Ireland, you can get married from the age of 16 if you have parental consent. However, without parental consent, you can get married once you reach the age of 18. In Scotland, you can get married from the age of 16, with or without parental consent.
https://www.mylawyer.co.uk/the-law-on-getting-married-a-A76051D76350/

Just one question, it's OK for girls to get married in England at the age of 16, but Pakistani girls doing the same with parental consent is wrong?

1000s upon 1000s of teenage girls are single mothers in England and other European countries, yet a girl getting married at the age of 18 is wrong when it happens in Pakistan and it's news worthy...................Really!!!

That’s upon request of the child and it gets reviewed. There is a system in place. South Asia community is a different story.

 

[313ghazi]

Islam allows marriage at puberty, which can come as early as 9 for a girl and 11 for a boy.
With puberty comes hormones and with hormones comes urges. Thats why Islam allows marriage at puberty whenever it comes and has no age limits.

Do you people realise that puberty is the point at which the human body begins to change into that of an adult and is not actually that of an adult. It is possible for an 11 year old girl to get pregnant - ask any doctor the damage pregnancy and giving birth will do to a child of that age.

Child marriage is not a joke. You need to be mature to get married. Maturity is not having a period or getting a voluntary erection. This includes the physical and mental capacity of an adult, awareness and acceptance of responsibilities and the knowledge of all matters related to marriage - including how to raise a child, not just how to breed one.

I propose a novel solution.
1. Raise the marriage age to 18.
2. Malaysia has a pre marriage course. We should also introduce one. Anyone under 21 who wants to get married should be obliged to attend one AND pass an exam.
3. Anyone over 21 who wants to get married should only have to attend the course (its 2 days in Malaysia).

This was the concerns around physical and mental maturity are addressed.

 

[Maarkhoor]

Pakistan’s Senate chose to mark the United Nations International Day of the Girl Child this week in an unusual way: by rejecting a bill that would have raised the minimum age for girls to marry from 16 to 18. The grounds for rejection? Apparently the proposed amendment was “contrary to religious injunctions,” said the Senate Standing Committee on Interior.

The UN children’s fund says 21 percent of Pakistani girls are married by the age of 18, and 3 percent before 15. Child marriage tends to occur in the country’s most marginalized and vulnerable communities, and has devastating consequences. Children who marry find their childhoods cut short and their education abandoned, as girls take on housework and boys struggle to provide for families they are too young to have. Married children become parents too soon, and girls face serious health risks, including death, due to early pregnancy. Married girls are also at higher risk of domestic violence, including marital rape, than women who marry later.

So why is Pakistan dragging its feet? The current law sets the legal age of marriage at 16 for girls and 18 for boys, which violates Pakistan’s obligations under international law in two ways: first by permitting marriage too early, and secondly by setting different marriage ages for girls and boys. But even this law is rarely enforced, as the Pakistani courts often interpret Sharia (Islamic law) instead, which allows any girl who has gone through puberty to marry.

Some provincial governments have legislated on this issue to try to improve matters, setting higher minimum ages for marriage and harsher penalties for those who arrange or conduct child marriages. But Sharia law is still preferred by the Pakistani courts.

The Pakistani government needs to prohibit underage marriage, and remove the confusion between religious interpretations and federal and provincial laws. Pakistani girls need equality, decent education, and good health care. They don’t need husbands. On the International Day of the Girl, Pakistan’s parliament failed its girls once again.

Source: https://www.hrw.org/news/2017/10/12/pakistan-should-end-child-marriage

As per Pakistani law girl should be at least 18 and boy must be 21, there are very few cases now a days where parents marry underage children....report such cases which is punishable by law.

 

[Enigma_]

I think 18 is fine.

 

[Thəorətic Muslim]

With puberty comes hormones and with hormones comes urges. Thats why Islam allows marriage at puberty whenever it comes and has no age limits.

Yes. Because once a girl hit puberty she wants a d1ck in her? Islam also tells you of solutions to "urges".

In England, Wales and Northern Ireland, you can get married from the age of 16 if you have parental consent. However, without parental consent, you can get married once you reach the age of 18. In Scotland, you can get married from the age of 16, with or without parental consent.

Same here in the US. Some States go as low as 14 if iirc.

The issue isn't getting married at 18. It's selling your 9 y/o daughter to settle a debt to a 50 y/o man pervert.

 

[Maarkhoor]

People identified themselves Brits, living in UK, have problem with Pakistani laws and culture, why they concern so much about foreign land?

In UK girls as young as 12 got pregnant and boys age 10 fathered child...kindly do something for your homeland first then shows your concern about former colony.