Center is presently engaging its networks of religious scholars and higher education institutions to hold a series of seminars in various universities of Pakistan on the issue of Child Marriage. As part of this effort, Center held the first three of interactive seminars on March 4, 2019 at the Indus Valley School of Arts and Architecture and Shaheed Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto Institute of Science and Technology in Karachi and March 6, 2019 at Fatima Jinnah Women University, Rawalpindi. Nearly 250 students participated in the three events. The events highlighted the issue of child marriage from sociological, legal and religious perspectives. They were also a precursor to an Inter-University Poster Competition organized by Center so that participating students are better informed for development of their artworks. More details on the poster completion are provided on this link.
Ms. Shagufta Bhatti, who is the Program Director at Center, shared with students sociological and legal perspectives on child marriage in Pakistan. From the Religious perspective, Mr. Syed Ahmed Yusaf Binori of the Jamia Uloom ul Islamia, Binori Town, Karachi shared his insights on the subject in Karachi, whereas, Maulana Muhammad Shareef Hazarvi shared his insights at Fatima Jinnah Women University, Rawalpindi.
The series of seminars and the poster competition are part of larger effort by Center to advocate for legislative amendments to Child Marriage Restraint Act 1929 and to push for stronger implementation. A concerted nationwide campaign is being held to create a better understanding of child marriage issue from different perspectives in order to rally diverse voices in support of the cause.
The series of seminars is giving opportunity to diverse voices to connect and generate a supportive discourse against the practice of child marriage. In addition to sociological and legal perspectives, these events are allowing students to interact with religious fraternity to openly discuss the issues from religious viewpoint.
In the first three events, students asked questions to gain clarity of issues of physical puberty and the need for mental maturity and capacity for both men and women to enter into marriage in order to form a strong family unit. The concept of a family unit in Islam and the roles and responsibilities of both husband and wife towards each other as well as towards their children were also explored. Young people also shared their life experiences especially related to gender roles, gender hierarchies and social norms that contribute to the practice of child marriage in Pakistan.
This initiative is part of project titled, ‘Promoting Legislation, Prompting Action to End Child Marriage in Pakistan: Phase II’ funded by AmplifyChange. More details on this initiative are provided on this link