Child Marriages in Pakistan: Causes and Consequences

Abstract

The culture of marrying off girls in childhood or in early adolescent age is a top line issue in Pakistan. The impacts of this issue are quite lasting because it leads to a host of problems in their further way of life. Among its adverse impacts, barrier on their education is immediate one. It makes them engage into practical familial household without sufficient mental maturity. Thus the early-wed girls are pressed under challenges of a difficult phase of life before they are suitably prepared for it. Another adverse effect befalls upon their physical health. They are vulnerable to various medical complications and suffer from serious health issues. There is strong association between marrying at later age and higher level of education along with better reproductive health. The early marriages are made upon various socio-cultural and socioeconomic grounds. Some of those reasons are exchange-marriages (watta-satta), recompense-through-girl (vanni), money-for-girl (Valwarr) and evading expenses on girls’ brought-up and education. When girls are married in early teens, their right to education is plainly denied and because of too early exposure to conjugal living, their reproductive health and physical wellbeing is badly affected.