ASIA/PAKISTAN – Child marriage now illegal in Balochistan – Agenzia Fides

Report on Balochistan’s 2025 Child Marriage Restriction Law and its Alignment with Sustainable Development Goals

Legislative Overview and Key Provisions

The provincial government of Balochistan, Pakistan, has enacted the “2025 Law on the Restriction of Child Marriage,” establishing a new legal framework to protect minors. This legislation is a significant step towards achieving key human rights and development targets.

• Minimum Marriageable Age: The law declares all marriages involving individuals under the age of 18 to be illegal, standardizing the minimum age for both genders.
• Repeal of Previous Law: It formally repeals the preceding law, which permitted girls to be married at the age of 14.
• Penalties for Facilitation: Strict penalties, including fines and imprisonment, will be imposed on any adult who organizes, facilitates, celebrates, or participates in a child marriage ceremony.
• Mandatory Verification: Civil registrars and religious officials are now legally required to verify the identity and age of both spouses prior to any marriage ceremony.

Alignment with United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

The new law directly supports Pakistan’s commitment to the UN Sustainable Development Goals, particularly those concerning gender equality, health, education, and justice.

1. SDG 5 (Gender Equality): The legislation is a direct response to SDG Target 5.3, which calls for the elimination of all harmful practices, such as child, early, and forced marriage. By protecting girls from premature marriage, the law promotes their autonomy and combats a primary driver of gender inequality.
2. SDG 4 (Quality Education): Child marriage is a significant barrier to education for girls. This law helps ensure that girls can complete their education, thereby contributing to SDG 4 by preventing their premature withdrawal from school.
3. SDG 3 (Good Health and Well-being): The act safeguards the health of young girls by preventing the severe health risks associated with early pregnancy and childbirth, aligning with the goal of ensuring healthy lives for all.
4. SDG 16 (Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions): The law represents a strengthening of legal institutions and frameworks designed to protect the fundamental rights of children, a core component of SDG 16.

Stakeholder Commentary and National Context

Human rights and religious leaders have lauded the law as a landmark achievement.

• Bishop Samson Shukardin OFM, President of the Pakistan Bishops’ Conference, described the bill as a “historic decision to protect children” and emphasized that early marriage deprives girls of education, health, and self-confidence.
• Joel Bastian of the national Justice and Peace Commission termed the law a “major legislative victory for the rights of minors in Balochistan.”

National Statistics and Persistent Challenges

Despite this legislative progress, Pakistan faces significant challenges in eradicating child marriage, which undermine progress on multiple SDGs.

• Global Ranking: Pakistan has the sixth-highest number of child marriages worldwide, with an estimated 1.9 million cases.
• National Prevalence: Nationally, over 21% of girls are married before the age of 18, and 3% are married before 15.
• Root Causes: The practice is sustained by systemic issues that the new law aims to counteract, including:
  • Poverty (linking to SDG 1: No Poverty)
  • Gender inequality (linking to SDG 5: Gender Equality)
  • Cultural norms that prioritize family honor over individual rights

Analysis of Sustainable Development Goals in the Article

1. Which SDGs are addressed or connected to the issues highlighted in the article?

   The article on the new law restricting child marriage in Balochistan, Pakistan, directly addresses and connects to several Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The primary focus is on protecting children, especially girls, from the harmful practice of early marriage, which has wide-ranging impacts on their lives.

   • SDG 5: Gender Equality

     This is the most prominent SDG addressed. The article focuses on eliminating child marriage, a practice that disproportionately affects girls and is a manifestation of deep-rooted gender inequality. The text notes that “over 21% of girls marry before the age of 18” and that the practice is driven by “gender inequality, and cultural norms that prioritize family honor over individual rights.” The new law is a direct attempt to achieve gender equality by protecting girls’ rights.

   • SDG 16: Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions

     The article is centered on a legal reform, the “2025 Law on the Restriction of Child Marriage in Balochistan.” This directly relates to building effective, accountable, and inclusive institutions at all levels. The law establishes a legal framework to protect minors, stipulating “strict penalties for adults who facilitate child marriages” and making marriages under 18 illegal. This represents a significant step in strengthening the justice system to protect the rights of children.

   • SDG 4: Quality Education

     The article explicitly links child marriage to the denial of education. Bishop Samson Shukardin is quoted stating that “Early marriage deprives them [girls] of their education.” By criminalizing child marriage, the law aims to remove a major barrier that prevents girls from continuing their schooling, thereby contributing to the goal of ensuring inclusive and equitable quality education.

   • SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being

     The connection to SDG 3 is also directly mentioned. The same statement from Bishop Shukardin highlights that early marriage deprives girls of “their health.” Child marriage is linked to numerous health risks, including early pregnancy and childbirth complications, which are leading causes of death for adolescent girls. The law, by preventing early marriage, indirectly promotes the health and well-being of young girls.

2. What specific targets under those SDGs can be identified based on the article’s content?

   The article’s content points to several specific targets within the identified SDGs.

   • Target 5.3: Eliminate all harmful practices, such as child, early and forced marriage and female genital mutilation.

     This target is the central theme of the article. The entire piece discusses the new law in Balochistan, which is designed specifically to end child marriage. The article provides context by stating that “Pakistan has the sixth-highest number [of child marriages] worldwide,” making the new legislation a direct action towards achieving this target.

   • Target 16.2: End abuse, exploitation, trafficking and all forms of violence against and torture of children.

     Child marriage is recognized as a form of abuse and exploitation of children. The law described in the article, which makes marriage under 18 illegal and imposes penalties on those involved, is a clear measure to end this specific form of violence against children. The Bishop’s description of the bill as “a historic decision to protect children” reinforces this connection.

   • Target 4.1: By 2030, ensure that all girls and boys complete free, equitable and quality primary and secondary education leading to relevant and effective learning outcomes.

     The article implies that preventing child marriage is a prerequisite for achieving this target for girls. By stating that early marriage “deprives them of their education,” it suggests that the new law will help keep girls in school, enabling them to complete their primary and secondary education.

3. Are there any indicators mentioned or implied in the article that can be used to measure progress towards the identified targets?

   The article explicitly and implicitly refers to indicators that can be used to measure progress.

   • Indicator 5.3.1: Proportion of women aged 20-24 years who were married or in a union before age 15 and before age 18.

     The article provides the exact data for this indicator at a national level for Pakistan. It states, “Nationally, over 21% of girls marry before the age of 18 and 3% before the age of 15.” These statistics serve as a baseline against which the effectiveness of the new law in Balochistan and other provinces can be measured over time.

   • Indicator related to legal frameworks (under Target 16.2).

     While a specific indicator number is not mentioned, the existence of the law itself is a key indicator of progress. The UN framework for SDG 16 includes tracking the presence and implementation of laws to protect children from abuse and violence. The article’s entire focus on the passage of the “2025 Law on the Restriction of Child Marriage in Balochistan” serves as a qualitative indicator that the legal framework to protect children is being strengthened.

   • Implied Indicator: School enrollment and completion rates for girls (under Target 4.1).

     The article implies that a key outcome of reducing child marriage will be an increase in educational attainment for girls. While it does not provide specific data on school enrollment, it establishes a clear causal link by stating that early marriage “deprives them of their education.” Therefore, tracking girls’ school enrollment, attendance, and completion rates in Balochistan would be a relevant, though implied, indicator to measure the law’s impact on education.

4. SDGs, Targets and Indicators Summary Table

   SDGs	Targets	Indicators Identified in the Article
   SDG 5: Gender Equality	Target 5.3: Eliminate all harmful practices, such as child, early and forced marriage.	Indicator 5.3.1: The article explicitly states the national prevalence: “over 21% of girls marry before the age of 18 and 3% before the age of 15.”
   SDG 16: Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions	Target 16.2: End abuse, exploitation, trafficking and all forms of violence against and torture of children.	Legal Framework Indicator: The existence and enforcement of the “2025 Law on the Restriction of Child Marriage in Balochistan” is a direct indicator of a strengthened legal framework to protect children.
   SDG 4: Quality Education	Target 4.1: Ensure that all girls and boys complete free, equitable and quality primary and secondary education.	Implied Indicator: The article implies that girls’ school enrollment and completion rates are negatively affected, as “Early marriage deprives them of their education.”
   SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being	(Implied) Target 3.7: Ensure universal access to sexual and reproductive health-care services.	Implied Indicator: The article notes that early marriage deprives girls of “their health,” implying that indicators related to adolescent health and birth rates would be relevant.

Source: fides.org