CHILD MARRIAGE CHANT

Islamabad : Child marriages are one of the reasons among many, many others, for the existing maternal and infant mortality rate, stated results of the Pakistan Demographic and Health Survey  [PDHS}.

The project director stated this while speaking at a consultative session titled : ''Promoting Legislation, Prompting Action to End Child Marriage in Pakistan', held under the auspices of Center for Communication Programmes Pakistan at a local hotel last Tuesday

The consultation aimed at promoting discourse on the issue of child marriages with journalists as well as highlighting the role of media in bringing the issue to the attention of  policymakers for legislative reforms.

Project Director Shagufta Bhatti discussed various reasons, including social and cultural traditions/taboos poverty and lack of education that were identified as the real underlying factors to justify the social act of child marriages in Pakistan.

''The definition of child is not mentioned in the constitution, which obstructs any efforts to stop child marriages or even get it recognised as an issue of importance in Pakistan.

The definition of a child is recognised as 18 years for the boys and 16 years for the girls, which is again discriminatory in nature,'' she said.

Mubashir Zaidi, a science journalist and an analyst, led a session in reporting on the issue of  child marriages in the media in Pakistan.

He discussed the issues, challenges and solutions in report on the issue of child marriage and to get them through for publishing or airing in  print or electronic media in the country.