[ad_1]

Child Marriage Rates Surge in Pakistan’s Sindh Province Post-Floods

Khan Mohammad Mallah, Sindh, Pakistan – In the aftermath of the catastrophic floods that ravaged Pakistan in 2022, families in Khan Mohammad Mallah are facing desperate choices, leading to a spike in child marriages. Among these is Asifa, who, at just 13, was married off to a man in debt after her family lost their farming livelihood to the floods. Despite initial excitement over the prospect of a wedding, Asifa soon discovered the harsh realities of her situation, including being tied to an older man she had never met.

The village, home to around 250 families, has seen a disturbing trend: at least 45 child marriages were recorded last year alone. With crops destroyed and livelihoods shattered, poverty has compelled families to marry off their daughters at young ages, with the goal of financial survival. Historically, such practices were rare; however, the devastation inflicted by floods has changed the socioeconomic landscape.

Organizations like Sujag Sansar are working to combat these trends, asserting that the rise in child marriages is not solely a cultural issue but a crisis driven by economic desperation. The recent floods left nearly a third of the country underwater, displacing 33 million people and exacerbating food shortages. Given the increased instances of forced marriages during flood seasons, activists are calling for urgent measures to protect vulnerable girls.

Highlighting the larger implications, UNICEF warns that the trend of child marriage could undo years of progress, with an anticipated 18% rise in such unions linked directly to socio-economic strains exacerbated by climate change. As young women like Samina now work to ensure their daughters receive education and avoid the same fate, the fight against child marriage is both a personal endeavor and a collective struggle against poverty and societal norms.

Some names have been altered for privacy.

Source
Photo credit www.aljazeera.com