Call to Link Girls’ Minimum Marriage Age to CNICs

RAWALPINDI: Stakeholders at a workshop unanimously endorsed a resolution to tie the minimum marriage age for girls to their national identity cards (CNICs). This move aims to leverage technology and enforce laws to prevent child marriages across Pakistan.

The resolution, supported by health professionals, religious scholars, lawyers, media persons, and government officials, proposed that NADRA register all marriages online. By doing so, it ensures underage marriages can be systematically tracked and prevented, safeguarding the mental, physical, and social well-being of young girls.

The workshop, titled “Sexual and Reproductive Health Rights (SRHR) and Child Marriages: Challenges and Way Forward,” was jointly organized by the Potohar Organisation for Development Advocacy (PODA) and the District Population Welfare Office Rawalpindi at the Benazir Bhutto Hospital. The event was part of a larger project, “Reduce Early Marriages to Enhance Gender Equality,” supported by the Norwegian embassy in Islamabad and implemented in 41 districts of Punjab.

Legal and Health Implications Highlighted
Advocate Khawaja Zahid Nasim, Legal Adviser to PODA, called for the uniform definition of a minor as anyone under 18 years of age. He pointed out inconsistencies in the Child Marriage Restraint Act 2015, which defines a “minor” as under 18 but allows girls to marry at 16. Nasim stressed that unifying this definition is critical to ensuring equal protection for all children.

Health experts, including Dr. Asima Tariq and Dr. Ayesha Zulfiqar, highlighted the severe physical and mental health risks associated with early marriages, including complications from multiple pregnancies and abortions. They emphasized that delaying marriage until girls reach 18 is vital for better health outcomes.

Mindset Shift and Community Involvement
Deputy Director of the Population Welfare Office, Azhar Mehmood, underlined the need for societal mindset changes to make underage marriage socially unacceptable. Religious scholar Maulana Hafiz Mohammad Iqbal Rizvi proposed engaging with religious leaders to influence public perceptions and promote girls’ education, much like the successful polio vaccination campaigns.

The resolution also called for incorporating awareness about child marriage and its consequences into educational curricula, particularly in rural communities where such practices are more prevalent.

This initiative marks a significant step toward protecting the rights of young girls and addressing the long-term impacts of child marriages on their health, education, and overall quality of life.