Society for the Protection of the Rights of Child (SPARC) has decided to launch campaign against chhild marriages in the society Child marriages in Pakistan are common occurrence in both the urban and rural areas and there is need to create awareness among the masses and influence policy making.
Child Marriage, "Unjust and Unlawful", SPARC Peshawar Manager Imran Takkar said that there was an urgent need to amend the Child Marriages Restraint Act of 1929. SPARC is going to launch the campaign simultaneously in the Bjaur Agency, Khyber Agency, Malakand Agency, Mardan, Swabi, Charssadda, Abbottabad and Lower Dir. The Child Rights Committees (CRC) will organise seminars, walks, and press briefings in these districts. Takkar said that more than 9 high profile cases of child marriages have been reported only to SPARC during the year of 2011. The law dealing with the subject Child Marriages Restraint Act was passed in 1929.
According to the law the marriage of minors was a criminal offence. For the purposes of the Act, 'minor' was defined as a person below the age of 18 years. However, 'child' was defined as a male of less than 18 years of age and a female of less than 16 years. The Act imposes a penalty of only Rs 1,000 and imprisonment of one month in case of violation. He said that SPARC has demanded the expedition of amendments in the act, which further calls for raising the age of the girl to 18 (a child, according to the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, is any person under the age of 18) same as that of the boy. Substantive increase in the penalty to at least Rs 100,000 and immediate enforcement of the amended law. Poverty, illiteracy, social and cultural practices are factors cited for the prevalence of child marriages.
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