PRESS RELEASE – Call to Protect Girls from Early Marriages to ensure Right to Higher Education
1st November 2024 (Murree, Punjab): “Early marriages result in discontinuation of girls’ higher education that is a loss to Pakistan’s economy and progress”, said Professor Dr. Habib Ali Bukhari, Vice Chancellor of Kohsar University at Murree on Thursday 31st October 2024. Dr. Bukhari added that we need to make consistent efforts that all girls and women of Pakistan are able to reach their full potential through education and job training. He urged the female students to support the voices against early marriages and become ambassadors for the cause of reducing early marriages. He was speaking at a consultation jointly organized by Kohsar University and Potohar Organization for Development Advocacy (PODA). A total of 21 participants attended the consultation including duty bearers from government departments, academia, lawyers, media, teachers, students and members of civil society.
Advocate Khawaja Zahid Naseem from PODA highlighted that the minimum legal age of marriage for girls in the Punjab province is 16 years while globally the minimum age for girls is 18 years or above. He said many girls who fall victims to early marriages do not have the Computerized National Identity Card (CNIC) at the time of marriage that is issued on age 18 so they face many legal, social and economic problems due to lack of CNIC at the time of marriage. In case of any dispute or problems within marriage, the girls most often face complicated legal issues. He shared that PODA is implementing a project in all 41 districts of Punjab with the support of Norway government to create awareness about Reducing Early Marriages and enhancing the minimum marriage age for girls from 16 to 18 years.
The consultation, hosted by Kohsar University brought together multiple stakeholders to discuss girls’ education and women’s nutrition and health needs. Ms. Sheherbano Aman, representing PODA shared that through this project PODA is also working in schools adding that earlier today PODA conducted an educational class for 47 students of St. Denys Girls High School in Murree about hygiene and health issues of adolescent girls. A Horticulture expert Ms. Sana Asghar also joined PODA to educate students about the importance of nutritional food for girls from an early age to develop good eating habits.
Mr. Faisal Ahmed, Assistant Commissioner Murree said there is an increase of patients in Basic Health Units (BHUs) in the district due to early marriages as more young women in the reproductive period are coming to government facilities and many a times there is shortage of staff and services for them. He said Pakistan is already facing sever challenges due to high rate of population that is putting pressure on all infrastructure services including schools, hospitals, transport, employment and law and order. He said early marriages should be curtailed so young people have the time to prepare and plan their families. He urged the participants to play their due role in educating the public about reducing early marriages. He invited the public to inform the district government if any cases of early marriages take place in Murree so the government can play its role effectively to stop underage illegal marriages.
Ms. Sana Asghar, Senior Scientist Horticulture emphasized the role of mothers in reducing early marriages and shared that parents and families should understand that educated girls can manage domestic issues and child raising in a better way when they are themselves mature and well informed. At the end, the participants demanded that the minimum age of marriage for girls should be 18 years in all parts of Pakistan. PODA team thanked VC Kohsar University for hosting the meeting and for his valuable time.
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