Child marriages key factor in secondary school dropout: Report

Shazia Mehboob

Peshawar: Despite tall claims for measures to promote girls’ education and elimination of child marriage, child marriages remained a key factor in secondary school dropout in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa province, according to a fresh study released by Blue Veins, a KP-based non-governmental organization, on Thursday.

The study, conducted on Girls’ Education, Child and Forced Marriages in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, highlights multi-level challenges associated with girls’ education and found child marriages and associated socio-economic vulnerabilities as one of the key contributing factors in secondary school dropout.

The research aimed to focus on the identification of the barriers to Girls’ Education in the province and how child and early marriages affects girls’ enrollment, retention, and dropout of education, especially at the secondary level.

Speakers called for a multi-sectoral and strategic response to address the invisible underlying factors related to both girls’ education and the practice of child marriages in KP.

Minister for Labour, Culture, Human Rights, and Parliamentary Affairs Shaukat Ali Yousafzai said: “The KP government is committed to the economic, political, and social empowerment of women and girls, especially those living in marginalized settings.”

“We are in the process to bring provincial legislation raising the minimum age of marriage to 18 and curbing the issue so that girls’ enrollment and retention in secondary education can be strengthened,” Yousafzai informed the participants of the event.

MPA Shagufta Malik said that improving girls’ education and ending child marriages is a development agenda. The WPC of the KP Assembly is very much committed beyond the party lines to prioritize girls’ and women’s empowerment and protection of rights on the legislative agenda.

KP Commission on the Status of Women Chairperson Dr Riffat Sardar said: “Education has the potential to play a pivotal role in enabling countries to break out of the early marriage trap. Overcoming the socio-economic barriers to increased access to education is critical to empower women and girls to lead, influence and inspire the world for sustainable development,” Dr Riffat emphasized.

KP Child Protection and Welfare Commission Acting Chief Ijaz Khan said investing in girls’ education can have a tremendous impact on reducing child marriage and therefore reducing poverty for families, communities, and the country.

“We are working to address the gendered factors that stand in the way of a girl’s education and discourage early marriage through legislative reforms to make empowerment a reality for millions of girls province-wide, ” Ijaz Khan informed.

Blue Veins Program Coordinator Sana Ahmad shared that Child marriage has long been a barrier to girls’ education. Early marriage puts a stop to a girl’s education, as societal pressure does not allow her to attend school once married.

The research was conducted by Blue Veins and Pakistan Education Champion Network in collaboration with the Women Parliamentary Caucus WPC Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Assembly, Child Protection and Welfare Commission, and KP Commission on the Status of Women KPCSW.

The data shows that child marriages in KP stand at 28 per cent and 35 per cent in Newly Merged Districts, PDHS 2017-2018 informs that in KP 5.5 per cent of girls are married before 15 compared to 7.5 per cent in NMDs.

The study also reveals that 53 per cent of people are unaware about the legal age of marriage in the province as 47 per cent research respondents were aware of the legal age of marriage.

The report states Sindh shows the highest percentage of early child marriages in rural areas with 72 per cent of females and 26 per cent of males in the selected sample, married before 20.