Source: Daily TimesChild marriage is a common practice around the world and has been destroying thousands of young lives, resulting in them only being able to enjoy half of their potential. It is comparable to the violation of someone’s rights. Among the many things that have contributed to the promotion of child marriage, the most significant ones are the parents. Upon birth, children are immediately engaged to their cousins of varying ages, making promises to marry these newborns when they reach the age of 14 or soon thereafter. Adolescent matrimony is identified as the primary cause of a girl’s childhood termination, impacting the child’s educational journey and potentially leading to her suicide. Every country’s future depends on its ability to invest in its children, which guarantees a wealthy and happy future for the country. Nevertheless, the intricate dynamics of marriage ensnare the childhoods of children in Balochistan, especially the girls, impeding their intellectual development by making them responsible for household matters. Nearly half of marriages in Balochistan are formally sealed before the age of 18. Pregnancy-related mortality is increased due to early marriages. However, the prevalence of ignorance and illiteracy never stopped people from following the trend of child marriages. Nonetheless, the province’s so-called civil society, religious authorities, and other communities needed to put forth more effort to eradicate this social ill.
Approximately 23% of girls in Makran are married off before turning 18, according to a paper titled “Child Marriage in Balochistan (Pakistan): A Political Economy Analysis.” The figures for Nasirabad and Sibbi divisions are 22.4% and 22%, respectively. Comparatively speaking, districts Kech, Kohlu, and Qilla Saifullah rank well in terms of the proportion of girls who marry off before turning 18 years old. The study also included a list of child weddings under the age of fifteen. The prevalence of these marriages is 10.3% in the Kech district, 9.7% in Harnai, 9.3% in Awaran, 8.8% in Washuk, and 8.6% in Khuzdar. Keeping in mind the cruel cultural practice of child marriages in Balochistan, it’s important to comprehend the causes behind them, which are intricately woven within Balochistan’s intricate political, social, and cultural landscape. For example, compared to other provinces, Balochistan has the highest rates of inflation and poverty, which forces parents to marry off their daughters at a young age. Furthermore, the tendency towards underage marriages was observed, especially among females with little to no education, suggesting that these girls are unable to understand cultural oppression and hence give up without speaking up.
In Balochistan, the scarcity of water is closely associated with child marriages, as many individuals marry their daughters to retain their properties with access to water within their birth families, depriving the girls of their inheritance rights. Lastly, tribal traditions like Watta Satta, Nekh, and Lub are the most frequent causes of child marriages. While watta satta refers to the giving and taking of daughters into two households, lub is the custom of giving a girl in marriage for a specific sum of money. Nekh, on the other hand, refers to the practice of marrying daughters to resolve conflicts between tribes and families. In general, Balochistan has a long history of underage marriages, which severely hinders the province’s ability to develop. It’s time for the government to start working on laws to stop more child marriages and to give girls access to education and career training to secure their bright future. Thus, the protection of Balochistan’s children is essential for the country’s socioeconomic development. To guarantee this, statutes protecting their human rights must be passed by the government, such as the one that forbids the solemnization of child marriage.
Numerous accounts exist of girls from all around Balochistan who want the government’s attention. Every young girl deserves a better life, and the government must protect girls’ rights in addition to compiling statistics on these hardships. As a result, to save the younger generation, the government needs to enact stringent regulations and create an educational television campaign that creates public awareness in Balochistan. Child rearing is a tough job that young teenage girls cannot properly manage as they are in a phase of physical and emotional development. In addition, parents should understand that marriage at a young age is not the answer to all their issues, so they should focus on the education of their children rather than putting immense responsibility on their weak shoulders.
