Implementation of Child Marriage Restraint Act encouraged

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Implementation of Child Marriage Restraint Act encouraged

Sindh government had done a wonderful job through promulgating Sindh Child Marriage Restraint Act 2013, but the Act still needed to be implemented in letter and spirit as the cases of early and child marriages in Sindh have not decreased yet. This was stated by participants of the Capacity-Building Session on ‘Existing Laws on Early and Forced Marriages’ organized by Madadgar National Helpline in collaboration with Plan International Pakistan at a local hotel in Karachi to discuss different aspects of early forced marriages and how federal and provincial laws were dealing with this menace.

Seniors Doctors, Psychologists, Police Officers, Lawyers, Civil Society Members, Members of Community-based Organizations, University Faculty Members and Students participated in the session.

Renowned Gynaecologist, Dr. Sher Shah Syed sharing his views said that early marriage lays harmful effect on a girl’s physical health because her reproductive organs are fully developed at the minimum age of 18 years and marriage before that was the biggest cause of maternal and child mortality abortions and pregnancy-related diseases and complications. He stressed that Health Awareness Campaign should be run to stop parents from marrying children before the age of 18 years. He urged the government to play its role and prepare a comprehensive policy to implement laws on early and forced marriages.

Dr. Uzma Ali, Senior Psychologist & Assistant Professor at Karachi University said that teenage marriages were not only harmful for a girl’s physical health but also the root-cause of mental stress and depression. Although the causes of early marriages were social, economical and religious, but poverty was a major factor in these cases. He said that measures should be taken to stop early marriages like school-based programmes, parents education, media advocacy, grassroots level campaigns, birth and marriage registration and sexual and reproductive health rights education.

Zia Ahmed Awan, Founder of Madadgaar National Helpline said that after the 18th Constitutional Amendment, health, education, labour, and social welfare ministries were devolved to provinces. The implementation of the Sindh Child Marriage Restraint Act 2013 was a positive initiative by the Government of Sindh. Early marriage was now a cognizable offence and the police can lodge an FIR against culprits after the orders of first class magistrate. He said that for cancellation of a Nikah, family courts will have to be consulted. He asked the participants to inform Madadgaar National Helpline if any case of early or forced marriages or incidents of violence and torture against women and children.

2017-04-26T12:35:01+00:00