Islamabad, 12 Oct 2023:A two-day National Stakeholders’ Conference focusing on Ending Child Marriage, organized by the National Commission on the Status of Women (NCSW) in conjunction with development partners UNICEF, UNFPA, UN Women, FCDO, and UKAid, concluded on 12th October in Islamabad. The conference aimed to formulate a national framework to curtail child marriages, drawing on proposals and inputs from provincial stakeholders.
Noteworthy panelists, including Prof. Dr. Qibla Ayaz, Chairman Council of Islamic Ideology (CII), communicated the multifaceted nature of child marriage, intertwining administrative, social, and religious aspects, and underscored the need for collaborative efforts and potential legislation informed by consensus. Various departments addressing child rights shared current statuses on child marriage legislation in their regions, converging on the necessity for uniform national legislation in Pakistan. The conference concluded with an emphasis on the pivotal role of education, community engagement, awareness, sanitization, and accurate data in constructing an effective policy framework to eradicate child marriage.