Thread by @AuratAzadiMarch

We are disgusted to hear the news of MNA Maulana Salahuddin Ayubi’s marriage to a 14-yr old girl from Chitral who was a student of Government Girls High School, Jughoor, where her DOB had been recorded as Oct 28, 2006, which means that she hasn’t attained the age of marriage.

We march, organize & advocate because in this patriarchal country, men in power are blatantly undermining the few laws that are there to protect women and girls.

In Pakistan, every 5th girl is married under the age of 18.

Sindh is the only province in Pakistan which has updated the Child Marriage Restraint Act 1929 increasing the marriageable age to 18.

It has further made the act a punishable offence. A man, above 18 years, who contracts a child marriage, could now be imprisoned for three years.

In 2015, Punjab amended the Child Marriage Restraint Ordinance 1971, and passed the Punjab Marriage Restraint Act 2015. It increased the imprisonment and fines, but kept the legal age of marriage at 16 years.

In 2016, the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa assembly failed to pass Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Child Marriage Restraint Bill 2014, which would have raised the age of marriage to 18 years.

Balochistan also continues to be governed by the the Child Marriage Restraint Act 1929.

Many, if not all, Muslim countries have increased the minimum marriageable age.
Bahrain: 21 years for both women & men
Libya: 20 years
Eritrea: 21 for men & 18 for women
Algeria: 19 years
Qatar: 18 years
United Arab Emirates: 18 years
Lebanon: 18 years
Albania: 18 years

Morocco: 18 years
Oman: 18 years
Bangladesh: 18 years
Kyrgyzstan: 18 years
Kazakhstan: 18 years
Mali 21 and 18
Nigeria: 18 years
Tajikistan: 18 years
Sierra Leone: 18 years
Mauritania: 18 years
Kosovo: 18 years
Comoros: 18 years
Djibouti: 18 years

Marriage is a contract between two people, which is put down in writing. Since no agreement can be reached between parties without their free consent, how can children enter such contract?

How can a child be expected to go into a lifelong contract when they are not allowed to drive & vote?
Marriage is a lifetime contract & a child who does not even understand what a contract is cannot be expected to choose their life partner.
#AuratAzadiMarch2021
#MeraJismMeriMarzi

Let’s keep raising our voice to end #ChildMarriage and make sure that these powerful men are held accountable for their crimes.

#AuratAzadSamajAzad