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UNHRC Exposes Forced Child Marriages of Minority Girls in Pakistan
- •A UNHRC side event scrutinized forced and child marriages affecting minority girls in Pakistan, highlighting their impact on rights, education, health, and dignity.
- •Naveed Walter, President of Human Rights Focus Pakistan, cited UNICEF data revealing 90 million women and children affected by child rights violations in Pakistan, with 4.8 million under 15.
- •Walter emphasized severe consequences for girls, including educational setbacks and health risks, noting high mortality rates during pregnancy and low basic education among married children.
- •Sindhi women's rights activist Dr. Shagufta Kandhro detailed the situation in Sindh, where over one in five young women marry before 18, facing health risks and limited access to healthcare.
- •Speakers urged stronger protection for women and children and greater international action against child and forced marriage as a form of gender-based violence.
Key Questions Answered
Speakers at a UNHRC side event in Geneva highlighted that forced and child marriages involving minority girls in Pakistan severely impact their rights, education, health, and dignity. Naveed Walter of Human Rights Focus Pakistan noted that 90 million women and children have been affected by child rights violations, with 4.8 million under the age of 15.
Sindhi women's rights activist Dr Shagufta Kandhro stated that 21 per cent of young women in Sindh are married before 18, and 84,000 children aged 10 to 17 are married, widowed, or separated. She also noted that Sindh recorded 61,000 teenage pregnancies among girls aged 15 to 19 and that 61.9 per cent of girls in the province suffer from anaemia.
The side event addressing child and forced marriages of minority girls in Pakistan was hosted by Global Human Rights Defence, an organization accredited by the UN ECOSOC.
