A report by the Balochistan Commission on the Status of Women (PCSW) highlights a troubling trend in Pakistan’s largest province: early marriages.
The report reveals that 45% of girls in Balochistan marry before turning 18, with 12.5% of these marriages occurring before the age of 15. Early marriages are notably more common among girls than boys.
The report notes that early marriages lead to increased risks of early pregnancies, which contribute to higher rates of infant and maternal mortality.
It also underscores how early marriage severely limits girls’ economic and educational opportunities. Many underage girls, lacking awareness about their rights and the dangers of early marriage, are also at higher risk of gender-based violence.
PCSW advocates for raising the minimum marriage age to 18 and banning traditional practices that support early marriages. Despite these recommendations, the provincial legislature has not passed a bill to increase the minimum marriage age, allowing the harmful practice to continue.
The outdated Child Marriage Act of 1929, which sets the marriage age at 18 for boys and 16 for girls, remains in effect in Balochistan, and penalties for violations are not stringent.