Extreme weather has upended lives, businesses and economic activities around the globe. But in crisis-hit Pakistan, the situation is far more acute.
Amid changing weather patterns, some provinces of Pakistan are reporting a sharp rise in the disturbing trend of ‘monsoon brides.’ According to an AFP report, nuclear-armed nation is seeing a high rate of underage girls getting married since the 2022 deluge.
The climate crisis has sparked new economic insecurity and families with almost next to nil sources of incomes are resorting to such desperate measures.
The AFP report said that Pakistan’s Sindh, which was among the worst-hit regions in the 2022 floods, has still not recovered. NGO Sujag Sansar's Mashooque Birhmani, who has been working in the area, says that the easiest way for families battling for survival is to marry off their daughters in exchange of money, the AFP report stated.
Dadu, a desolate village in Sindh, has reported a sharp surge in child marriages. Najma Ali, one such ‘monsoon bride’, said that she was excited on the prospects of getting many gifts such as lipstick and crockery.
Married at 14 in 2022, she is now a mother of a six-month-old. AFP report said that the young 16-year-old is back at her home along with her baby and husband as they have ‘nothing to eat’.
The AFP report citing the government data said that child marriages in Pakistan is not a unique phenomenon. Pakistan is ranked sixth in terms of girls married before the age of 18 across the world, as per the December 2023 data.
In Pakistan, the law mandates the age of marriage for girls between 16 and 18 depending on the provincial clauses. However, the law is rarely enforced.
The monsoon season, which usually lasts till September is a crucial aspect of economic activities in the Indian Subcontinent. The extreme climate changes have resulted in heavier and longer monsoon. This often leads to long-term crop damage, landslides and floods.
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