CHILD MARRIAGE IN PAKISTAN AND ITS IMPACT ON GIRLS’ HEALTH AND EDUCATION A NARRATIVE LITERATURE REVIEW

Abstract

Although years of legal and programming efforts have passed, child marriage (civil marriage and/or any type of informal union between two individuals, one of whom is a female who is under 18 years of age) is still a social and public health problem in Pakistan. The method of the article is a narrative literature review, which is based on the data from nationally representative, peer-reviewed articles, research institutes, and United Nations agencies related to Pakistan and South Asia. There is consistent evidence that early marriage and adolescent pregnancy are linked to increased maternal health risks, school dropout, and increased psychological distress; and that poverty, low level of parental education, and restrictive gender norms are the main factors associated with early marriage. These differences are appreciable in different geographic regions and between people in rural and urban areas, and are more likely to be observed among children from lower-income and less-educated families. Conclusions: Child marriage can only be tackled together in the education, health and legal sectors, with the participation of the community and strict monitoring and enforcement of minimum age laws in all provinces of Pakistan.