Thursday
March 28, 2024
23 C
Lahore
EditorialEducation for all

Education for all

The recent order upheld by the Federal Shariat Court (FSC) gives a new lifeline to many girls in the country, who unfortunately end up becoming child brides. During the hearing of a petition on Thursday, a three-member bench held that setting a minimum age for marriage at 16 years, under the Child Marriage Restraint Act (CMRA) 1929, is not un-Islamic and would only help girls to at least get basic education. The verdict further stipulated that Islam has made the acquisition of education mandatory as per a hadith. “The use of such language by the Holy Prophet (PBUH) accentuates the farziat of education in a Muslim society and for every Muslim in all and any circumstances. Hence education is one of the fundamental factors for personality development of every and any human person,” further read the verdict.

Such a nuanced understanding and verdict by the country’s shariat court will help make better lives of many girls, mostly hailing from rural areas, who are married young. The conservative patriarchal mindset prevalent in certain areas of the country, deprives girls of their basic right to education, as they are considered a ‘burden’ on parents and hence, married young. But various studies have found that marrying young not only creates a problem for the female in question but also their children. In a 2018 UNICEF survey, it was reported that four out of 10 children under the age of five are stunted in Pakistan. One of the reasons for this was stated to be the maternal undernutrition often found in young mothers. Their lack of knowledge, owing to the absence of basic education leads them to living a life on the fringes. In another survey conducted by the WHO, it was stated that complications during pregnancy and childbirth are the leading cause of death in 15- to 19-year-olds globally. And that’s not all, apart from physical dangers, early marriage also affects the psychological well-being of a child, along with their intellectual, personal and social growth. It is then not a wonder that domestic violence is a reality for many underage brides, as their spouses often tend to be older.

While the age of marriage in all provinces is 16, barring Sindh, where it is 18, implementation of this is often limited. Perhaps the FSC’s verdict will help guide those, who often use religion for their convenience, especially when it comes to deciding for the girls and women in this country.

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