Monday 22 July 2024:  PODA organized an influencers’ meeting in Khushab on the same day, attended by representatives from government departments, including health and police, as well as media persons, teachers, lawyers, academics, and social workers. The participants unanimously passed and signed a resolution supporting PODA’s demand to raise the minimum age of marriage for girls to 18 years.

A social worker at the meeting said that societal change will only occur when men start accepting women as human beings, rather than as symbols of their honor and pride. A policewoman emphasized that the police are now actively working to curb social issues like child marriages, treating them not as domestic matters but as legal issues that require intervention. She advised the public to report such cases by calling the emergency number 15. Another participant stressed the importance of holding offenders accountable, including lawyers and Nikah Khawans who facilitate underage marriages, to set an example and change societal attitudes towards child marriage. They also supported PODA’s demand to make the national identity card mandatory for marriage registration.

The activity is part of PODA’s project “Reduce Early Marriages for Gender Equality” funded by the Norwegian Embassy, Islamabad. PODA Woman leader extended support to organize the activity in district Khushab.