The Punjab (Pakistan) 2024 MICS Key Findings Report provides insights into the well-being of children, women, and households, based on data from 45,000+ households. Launched by the Bureau of Statistics (BoS) Punjab with UNICEF’s support, the report aids policy decisions and SDG progress monitoring. Officials highlighted its role in
Despite improvements in education and awareness of rights, the tribal court system continues to mete out injustice across the country. The latest example of ‘elders’ proving that age does not always bring wisdom occurred in the rural Bhagwani Shumali area of Dera Ismail Khan in K-P. A local
As the climate crisis continues, children are increasingly exposed to illiteracy, child labour and early marriages LAHORE: Following the devastation caused by the heavy rains and catastrophic flooding in 2022, many people rallied to provide humanitarian aid through food, clothing and medicine for the affected families. However, no
Despite laws against child marriages, the legislation and implementation of minimum age laws has been unsatisfactory LAHORE: In Pakistan, men are given precedence over women in nearly all matters. Male guests will be seated first at a family dinner, male students will be selected for accolades and scholarships
Acknowledging a problem is the first step toward resolving it, and Sindh’s recognition of the alarming prevalence of child marriages and child labour is a necessary but overdue move. Figures recently revealed in the Sindh School Education and Literacy Department survey are just one of many studies conducted
Pakistan’s low conviction rates for sexual assault highlight the urgent need for legal reform and victim protection. Sexual assault remains a massive problem in Pakistan, where a worryingly high offence rate pairs with an abysmal conviction rate, creating a recipe for disaster. Reliable data on sexual assault and
PAKISTAN has the sixth highest number globally of girls married before the age of 18. Child marriage is prevalent in the country due to several reasons, including outdated customs and traditions, poverty, lack of awareness and access to education, and lack of security. After the devastating floods in
Pakistan turned 77 this year, yet the children harbored by the fifth most populated country continue to be failed by the state. One of the many challenges in this regard is child marriage. The Child Marriage Restraint Act 1929 Section 2(a) defines a “child” as “a person who,
There have been numerous attempts by private members of Pakistan’s National Assembly and Senate to amend the country’s Child Marriage Restraint Act of 1929. In recent years, the proposed amendments have been repeatedly tabled and rejected. These include the Child Marriage Restraint (Amendment) Bill 2014, moved by MNAs
OURS is a society where parents start planning their daughter’s marriage soon after she is born. Here the social compulsion for couples to prove their fertility is so great that they have their first child within a year or so after tying the knot. Worse still, women are
The prevalence of child marriages in certain parts of Pakistan, as exemplified by the recent reports of 45 underage girls being married off in Khan Muhammad Mallah village of Dadu in Sindh province, is utterly unacceptable. The directive issued by Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah to launch a
Child Marriage, one of the unfortunate and rampant trends, takes place in several parts of the country despite being prohibited under the relevant laws. Child marriage is a serious violation of children’s rights, something that ensures gender inequality. Young girls, in particular, are denied to enjoy their rights