Criminalising child marriage

CHILD marriage persists in Pakistan for many reasons, and ending the practice requires measures that are sensitive to the problem’s complexity. Debates on child marriage tend to reduce this complexity to two opposing legal positions. Proponents of gender equality and child welfare support higher minimum age limits for child marriage and harsher criminal penalties. Religious parties and lobbies, on the other hand, claim that lower minimum age limits are consistent with Islamic law.

Discussion...