/tags/child-marriage en /node/2602743/pakistan <div class="field field-name-field-rbitem-author field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-above"><div class="field-label">article author:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><a href="/rbitem-author/saima-shabbir">SAIMA SHABBIR</a></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-publication-date field-type-datestamp field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><span class="date-display-single">Fri, 2025-05-30 13:26</span></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><p> ISLAMABAD: Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari on Friday signed into law a bill criminalizing child marriages in the federal capital of Islamabad, despite opposition from a constitutional body that advises the Pakistani government on the compatibility of laws with Islam.</p></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-binary field-type-image field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><img src="/sites/default/files/2025/05/30/4607107-1725735166.jpg" width="670" height="395" alt="" title="In this handout photo, taken and released by the Government of Pakistan, members of Pakistan’s lower house of parliament attend the National Assembly meeting in Islamabad on March 1, 2024. (Photo courtesy: X/@NAofPakistan/File)" /></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-taxonomy-vocabulary-1 field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Main category:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><a href="/Pakistan">Pakistan</a></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-taxonomy-vocabulary-9 field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Tags:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><a href="/tags/child-marriage">child marriage</a></div></div></div> Fri, 30 May 2025 10:35:38 +0000 kashaf.rehman 2602743 at /node/2583923/world <div class="field field-name-field-rbitem-author field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-above"><div class="field-label">article author:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><a href="/taxonomy/term/111606">AFP</a></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-author field-type-text field-label-inline clearfix"><div class="field-label">Author:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">AFP</div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-id field-type-text field-label-above"><div class="field-label">ID:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">1734850731681628600</div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-publication-date field-type-datestamp field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><span class="date-display-single">Sun, 2024-12-22 06:53</span></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><p> GUWAHATI, India: A crackdown on illegal child marriages in India’s northeast has resulted in nearly 5,000 arrests, after 416 people were detained in the latest police sweep, a minister said Sunday.<br /> “We will continue to take bold steps to end this social evil,” Himanta Biswa Sarma, chief minister of Assam state, said in a statement.<br /> “Assam continues its fight against child marriage,” he added, saying raids have been carried out overnight and that those arrested would be produced in court on Sunday.<br /></p></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-binary field-type-image field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><img src="/sites/default/files/2024/12/22/4556975-337161934.jpg" width="1000" height="683" alt="" title="India is home to more than 220 million child brides, according to the UN, but the number of child weddings has fallen dramatically this century. Above, underaged children during a mass child marriage ceremony in May 2002. (AFP file photo)" /></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-taxonomy-vocabulary-1 field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Main category:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><a href="/world">World</a></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-taxonomy-vocabulary-9 field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Tags:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><a href="/tags/child-marriage">child marriage</a></div><div class="field-item odd"><a href="/category/tags/india">India</a></div></div></div> Sun, 22 Dec 2024 07:02:32 +0000 rbksa 2583923 at /node/2560406/pakistan <div class="field field-name-field-rbitem-author field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-above"><div class="field-label">article author:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><a href="/taxonomy/term/106591">Aamir Saeed</a></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-publication-date field-type-datestamp field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><span class="date-display-single">Thu, 2024-08-01 06:22</span></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><p> MINGORA, Pakistan: Eleven-year-old schoolgirl Hadiqa Bashir’s life changed a decade ago when her parents, influenced by relatives, told her she was to be married off to an elderly taxi driver. </p> <p> Though child marriages are a norm in Bashir’s conservative Pashtun family in Pakistan’s northwestern Swat Valley, she sought the help of an uncle to defy her parent’s plans and even threatened her family that she would go to the police against them. </p></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-binary field-type-image field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><img src="/sites/default/files/2024/08/01/4495626-2107588499.jpg" width="1300" height="766" alt="" title="Pakistani activist Hadiqa Bashir is seen talking to women at her office in Pakistan’s northwestern Swat Valley on July 9, 2024. (AN photo)" /></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-taxonomy-vocabulary-1 field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Main category:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><a href="/Pakistan">Pakistan</a></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-taxonomy-vocabulary-9 field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Tags:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><a href="/tags/swat">SWAT</a></div><div class="field-item odd"><a href="/tags/child-marriage">child marriage</a></div><div class="field-item even"><a href="/category/tags/pakistan">Pakistan</a></div><div class="field-item odd"><a href="/tags/mingora">Mingora</a></div></div></div> <span class="label abs-el uppercase special"> Special </span> Thu, 01 Aug 2024 03:24:39 +0000 fatimah.amjad 2560406 at /node/2525076/world <div class="field field-name-field-rbitem-author field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-above"><div class="field-label">article author:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><a href="/taxonomy/term/240426">SHEHAB SUMON</a></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-author field-type-text field-label-inline clearfix"><div class="field-label">Author:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-publication-date field-type-datestamp field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><span class="date-display-single">Thu, 2024-06-06 16:14</span></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><p> DHAKA: The Bangladeshi government, in collaboration with UN agencies, has launched new measures to prevent child marriage by strengthening community engagement and ensuring more females complete their education.</p> <p> The South Asian nation has one of the world’s highest percentages of child marriage, with the latest Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics survey showing that in 2023 alone 41.6 percent of young females were married before reaching the legal age of 18.</p></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-binary field-type-image field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><img src="/sites/default/files/2024/06/06/4402356-2012350143.jpg" width="1000" height="667" alt="" title="In this photo shared by UNICEF on June 2, 2024, girls wait for their class at a school in Bangladesh. (UNICEF)" /></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-taxonomy-vocabulary-1 field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Main category:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><a href="/world">World</a></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-taxonomy-vocabulary-9 field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Tags:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><a href="/tags/bangladesh-0">Bangladesh</a></div><div class="field-item odd"><a href="/tags/child-marriage">child marriage</a></div><div class="field-item even"><a href="/tags/united-nations-children%E2%80%99s-fund-unicef">United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF)</a></div><div class="field-item odd"><a href="/tags/united-nations-population-fund-unfpa">United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA)</a></div></div></div> <span class="label abs-el uppercase special"> Special </span> Thu, 06 Jun 2024 13:26:07 +0000 seamus.obuachalla 2525076 at /node/2348276/pakistan <div class="field field-name-field-rbitem-author field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-above"><div class="field-label">article author:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><a href="/article-authors/buraq-shabbir">BURAQ SHABBIR</a></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-publication-date field-type-datestamp field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><span class="date-display-single">Wed, 2023-08-02 08:12</span></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><p> KARACHI: A leading Pakistani actor, Maria Wasti, has described child marriage as “the highest form of abuse,” as her drama serial, “Mayi Ri,” prepares to release, aiming to highlight the issue and raise awareness about its disastrous consequences.</p> <p> The practice has long remained prevalent in Pakistan, which, according to UNICEF, is home to about 19 million child brides. Statistics compiled by the UN agency reveal that one in six young women in the country is married during her childhood days.</p></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-binary field-type-image field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><img src="/sites/default/files/2023/08/02/3935436-140674714.jpg" width="1300" height="766" alt="" title="This still image captured from the video teaser of Pakistani drama, “Mayi Ri,” on August 1, 2023, shows actor Aina Asif who is portraying the role of child bride, Ainee, in the play. (Photo courtesy: YouTube/ARY Digital)" /></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-taxonomy-vocabulary-1 field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Main category:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><a href="/Pakistan">Pakistan</a></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-taxonomy-vocabulary-9 field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Tags:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><a href="/tags/pakistani-dramas">Pakistani Dramas</a></div><div class="field-item odd"><a href="/tags/child-marriage">child marriage</a></div><div class="field-item even"><a href="/tags/mayi-ri">Mayi Ri</a></div></div></div> <span class="label abs-el uppercase special"> Special </span> Wed, 02 Aug 2023 05:25:43 +0000 kashaf.rehman 2348276 at /node/2289491/world <div class="field field-name-field-rbitem-author field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-above"><div class="field-label">article author:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><a href="/taxonomy/term/225841">Reuters</a></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-publication-date field-type-datestamp field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><span class="date-display-single">Wed, 2023-04-19 13:24</span></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><p> NEW DELHI: South Asia is home to highest number of child brides in the world as increased financial pressures and school closures due to COVID-19 forced families to marry off their young daughters, according to new estimates released by UNICEF on Wednesday.</p> <p> There were 290 million child brides in the region, accounting for 45 percent of the global total, the children’s agency of the United Nations said, calling for more efforts to end the practice.</p></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-binary field-type-image field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><img src="/sites/default/files/2023/04/19/3779681-1877376144.jpg" width="1300" height="766" alt="" title="An Indian groom puts vermilion, the holy mark belived the as sign of hindu marriage, on the forehead of his underage bride during a mass marriage programme in the village of Malda, some 360 Kms. northeast of Kolkata, 02 March 2006. (AFP/File)" /></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-taxonomy-vocabulary-1 field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Main category:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><a href="/world">World</a></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-taxonomy-vocabulary-9 field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Tags:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><a href="/tags/child-marriage">child marriage</a></div></div></div> Wed, 19 Apr 2023 10:32:17 +0000 kashaf.rehman 2289491 at /node/2233316/pakistan <div class="field field-name-field-rbitem-author field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-above"><div class="field-label">article author:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><a href="/taxonomy/term/111606">AFP</a></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-publication-date field-type-datestamp field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><span class="date-display-single">Mon, 2023-01-16 13:30</span></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><p> GENEVA: UN rights experts on Monday deplored a reported rise in abductions, forced marriages and conversions of girls from Pakistan’s religious minorities, urging the government to swiftly halt such practices. </p> <p> “We are deeply troubled to hear that girls as young as 13 are being kidnapped from their families, trafficked to locations far from their homes, made to marry men sometimes twice their age, and coerced to convert to Islam,” the experts said. </p></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-binary field-type-image field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><img src="/sites/default/files/2023/01/16/3631536-641450505.jpg" width="2929" height="1986" alt="" title="Pakistani brides sit at a mass wedding ceremony in Karachi on February 12, 2008. (Photo courtesy: AFP/FILE) " /></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-taxonomy-vocabulary-1 field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Main category:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><a href="/Pakistan">Pakistan</a></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-taxonomy-vocabulary-9 field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Tags:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><a href="/tags/pakistan">#pakistan</a></div><div class="field-item odd"><a href="/tags/child-marriage">child marriage</a></div><div class="field-item even"><a href="/tags/forced-marriage">Forced Marriage</a></div><div class="field-item odd"><a href="/tags/united-nations">United Nations</a></div></div></div> Mon, 16 Jan 2023 10:40:34 +0000 kashaf.rehman 2233316 at /node/2210306/middle-east <div class="field field-name-field-rbitem-author field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-above"><div class="field-label">article author:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><a href="/article-authors/mohammad-shamaa">Mohammad Shamaa</a></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-author field-type-text field-label-inline clearfix"><div class="field-label">Author:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-publication-date field-type-datestamp field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><span class="date-display-single">Sat, 2022-12-03 21:32</span></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><p> CAIRO: A delay to a new draft law, currently pending before the Parliament of Egypt, that criminalizes marriage under the age of 18 and increases the punishment for violators, has sparked controversy in the North African country.</p> <p> The hold up is due to Al-Azhar Al-Sharif, the Islamic scientific body, which has yet to determine the extent of the proposal’s agreement with Shariah law.</p></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-binary field-type-image field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><img src="/sites/default/files/2022/12/03/3569771-1361229443.jpg" width="615" height="400" alt="" title="The Cabinet approved the draft law in April. (AFP)" /></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-taxonomy-vocabulary-1 field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Main category:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><a href="/middleeast">Middle-East</a></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-taxonomy-vocabulary-9 field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Tags:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><a href="/tags/child-marriage">child marriage</a></div></div></div> Sat, 03 Dec 2022 18:37:19 +0000 Mahad 2210306 at /node/2030696/middle-east <div class="field field-name-field-rbitem-author field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-above"><div class="field-label">article author:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><a href="/article-authors/nadia-al-faour-0">Nadia Al-Faour</a></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-publication-date field-type-datestamp field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><span class="date-display-single">Wed, 2022-02-23 23:09</span></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><p> DUBAI: Nadia, 14, should be in school in her native Syria. Instead she is married to someone 13 years her senior in neighboring Lebanon.</p> <p> She was married off by her father, Yasser, a Syrian refugee, on the promise of $8,000, half upfront and the rest when the marriage contract was signed.</p> <p> “Her suitor approached me when she was studying,” Yasser told Arab News. “He promised he would treat her right and help me open a minimarket to better my finances. But he turned out to be a liar and an abuser.”</p></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-binary field-type-image field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><img src="/sites/default/files/2022/02/23/3087371-347429849.png" width="1000" height="671" alt="Besides building awareness, aid agencies believe the key to ending child marriage is poverty reduction and providing vulnerable communities with economic security. (Shutterstock)" title="Besides building awareness, aid agencies believe the key to ending child marriage is poverty reduction and providing vulnerable communities with economic security. (Shutterstock)" /></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-taxonomy-vocabulary-1 field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Main category:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><a href="/middleeast">Middle-East</a></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-taxonomy-vocabulary-9 field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Tags:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><a href="/main-category/middle-east">Middle East</a></div><div class="field-item odd"><a href="/tags/lebanon">Lebanon</a></div><div class="field-item even"><a href="/tags/child-marriage">child marriage</a></div><div class="field-item odd"><a href="/tags/editor%E2%80%99s-choice">Editor’s Choice</a></div></div></div> <span class="label abs-el uppercase special"> Special </span> Wed, 23 Feb 2022 20:22:33 +0000 daniel.fountain 2030696 at /node/2015706/world <div class="field field-name-field-rbitem-author field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-above"><div class="field-label">article author:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><a href="/taxonomy/term/157356">Ellie Aben</a></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-author field-type-text field-label-inline clearfix"><div class="field-label">Author:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-publication-date field-type-datestamp field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><span class="date-display-single">Mon, 2022-01-31 22:55</span></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><p> MANILA: Years of fighting to put an end to child marriage in the Philippines have borne fruit with a recent law prohibiting the practice, but rights groups say much still needs to be done to implement the ban effectively.</p> <p> According to UNICEF, the Philippines, a country of 110 million people, has the 12th-highest number of child brides in the world, with an estimated 15 percent of girls married before the age of 18.</p></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-binary field-type-image field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><img src="/sites/default/files/2022/01/31/3046351-1723020160.jpg" width="1000" height="597" alt="" title="Years of fighting to put an end to child marriage in the Philippines have borne fruit with a recent law prohibiting the practice, but rights groups say much still needs to be done to implement the ban effectively. (AP/File)" /></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-taxonomy-vocabulary-1 field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Main category:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><a href="/world">World</a></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-taxonomy-vocabulary-9 field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Tags:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><a href="/category/tags/philippines">Philippines</a></div><div class="field-item odd"><a href="/tags/child-marriage">child marriage</a></div></div></div> <span class="label abs-el uppercase special"> Special </span> Mon, 31 Jan 2022 20:01:20 +0000 Sajjadkk 2015706 at /node/1996121/world <div class="field field-name-field-rbitem-author field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-above"><div class="field-label">article author:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><a href="/taxonomy/term/240426">SHEHAB SUMON</a></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-publication-date field-type-datestamp field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><span class="date-display-single">Fri, 2021-12-31 22:35</span></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><p> DHAKA: Bangladesh will overhaul its school curriculum and introduce a new subject covering reproductive health as the country addresses its biggest surge in child marriage in more than two decades, top education officials have said. </p></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-binary field-type-image field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><img src="/sites/default/files/2021/12/31/2992671-4885326.jpg" width="1200" height="863" alt="Child marriage remains prevalent in many lower-middle-class families in South Asia. (Shuttersotck image)" title="Child marriage remains prevalent in many lower-middle-class families in South Asia. (Shuttersotck image)" /></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-taxonomy-vocabulary-1 field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Main category:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><a href="/world">World</a></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-taxonomy-vocabulary-9 field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Tags:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><a href="/tags/bangladesh-0">Bangladesh</a></div><div class="field-item odd"><a href="/tags/child-marriage">child marriage</a></div></div></div> <span class="label abs-el uppercase special"> Special </span> Fri, 31 Dec 2021 19:38:17 +0000 Sajjadkk 1996121 at /node/1908001/world <div class="field field-name-field-rbitem-author field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-above"><div class="field-label">article author:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><a href="/taxonomy/term/111606">AFP</a></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-publication-date field-type-datestamp field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><span class="date-display-single">Mon, 2021-08-09 05:22</span></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><p> HARARE: The UN has condemned underage forced marriages in Zimbabwe following the death of a 14-year-old girl reportedly during childbirth at a religious shrine in the east of the country.<br /> The death has sparked widespread anger on social media and among children’s rights activists.<br /> A petition to the police commissioner has attracted nearly 58,000 signatures since it was launched on Thursday.<br /> Police at the weekend said they had opened an investigation into the death, which occurred last month.<br /></p></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-binary field-type-image field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><img src="/sites/default/files/2021/08/09/2754446-1013096248.jpg" width="1300" height="766" alt="The government has reported “high increases in teenage pregnancy and child marriages. (Shutterstock)" title="The government has reported “high increases in teenage pregnancy and child marriages. (Shutterstock)" /></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-taxonomy-vocabulary-1 field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Main category:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><a href="/world">World</a></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-taxonomy-vocabulary-9 field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Tags:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><a href="/tags/zimbabwe">Zimbabwe</a></div><div class="field-item odd"><a href="/tags/child-marriage">child marriage</a></div></div></div> Mon, 09 Aug 2021 01:29:47 +0000 malawi 1908001 at /node/1865686/pakistan <div class="field field-name-field-rbitem-author field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-above"><div class="field-label">article author:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><a href="/rbitem-author/naimat-khan">NAIMAT KHAN</a></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-publication-date field-type-datestamp field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><span class="date-display-single">Thu, 2021-05-27 11:43</span></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><p> KARACHI: A new law proposal making it compulsory for parents in Pakistan’s southern Sindh province to marry off their children once they turn 18 has sparked an outcry and wave of mockery, with lawmakers vowing to trash the bill.<br /></p></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-binary field-type-image field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><img src="/sites/default/files/2021/05/27/2637111-1876579675.jpg" width="800" height="500" alt="" title="A Pakistani bride looks on at a mass-wedding ceremony in Karachi, Pakistan, on April 13, 2019. (AFP/File)" /></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-taxonomy-vocabulary-1 field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Main category:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><a href="/Pakistan">Pakistan</a></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-taxonomy-vocabulary-9 field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Tags:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><a href="/tags/child-marriage">child marriage</a></div><div class="field-item odd"><a href="/tags/marriage">Marriage</a></div><div class="field-item even"><a href="/tags/sindh">Sindh</a></div></div></div> Thu, 27 May 2021 09:01:26 +0000 fatimah.amjad 1865686 at /node/1853531/world <div class="field field-name-field-rbitem-author field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-above"><div class="field-label">article author:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><a href="/taxonomy/term/121086">Arab News</a></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-publication-date field-type-datestamp field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><span class="date-display-single">Tue, 2021-05-04 20:27</span></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><p> LONDON: A legal loophole that allows children aged 16 and 17 in England and Wales to marry with parental consent is being exploited to coerce children into marriages they do not want, rights campaigners have warned.</p> <p> Some 20 organizations have signed a letter to Prime Minister Boris Johnson calling for the forced marriage law to be strengthened to protect children.</p> <p> They say there is no legal provision across Britain to prevent religious child marriages from taking place regardless of age.</p></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-binary field-type-image field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><img src="/sites/default/files/2021/05/04/2603756-252873971.jpg" width="890" height="534" alt="" title="Laws in England and Wales allow children aged 16 and 17 to marry with parental consent, but campaigners say this loophole makes children vulnerable to grooming and coercion. (AP Photo)" /></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-taxonomy-vocabulary-1 field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Main category:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><a href="/world">World</a></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-taxonomy-vocabulary-9 field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Tags:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><a href="/tags/united-kingdom-uk">United Kingdom (UK)</a></div><div class="field-item odd"><a href="/tags/child-marriage">child marriage</a></div><div class="field-item even"><a href="/tags/barnardo%E2%80%99s">Barnardo’s</a></div></div></div> Tue, 04 May 2021 17:42:28 +0000 seamus.obuachalla 1853531 at /node/1571581/pakistan <div class="field field-name-field-rbitem-author field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-above"><div class="field-label">article author:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><a href="/taxonomy/term/233916">Sabah Bano Malik</a></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-author field-type-text field-label-inline clearfix"><div class="field-label">Author:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-publication-date field-type-datestamp field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><span class="date-display-single">Sun, 2019-10-20 13:15</span></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><p> ISLAMABAD: When Sharmeen Obaid Chinoy released her latest animated film in New York this month, she hoped it would encourage people to support their daughters in realizing their dreams.<br /> Sitara (star in Urdu) is the award-winning Pakistani director’s latest offering and is focussed on the social evil of child marriage in South Asian countries, including Pakistan.<br /> “I always wanted to start a global conversation about why we are not investing in the dreams of our daughters?,” Chinoy told Arab News in an email interview on the inspiration behind the film.<br /></p></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-binary field-type-image field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><img src="/sites/default/files/2019/10/20/1807161-1559410378.png" width="1198" height="770" alt="" title="Sitara tells the story of a 14-year-old girl, Pari, and her sister Meher and the impact that child marriage has on them. (Photo taken from Instagram)" /></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-taxonomy-vocabulary-1 field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Main category:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><a href="/Pakistan">Pakistan</a></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-taxonomy-vocabulary-9 field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Tags:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><a href="/tags/child-marriage">child marriage</a></div><div class="field-item odd"><a href="/category/tags/pakistan">Pakistan</a></div></div></div> <span class="label abs-el uppercase exclusive"> Exclusive </span> Sun, 20 Oct 2019 10:21:40 +0000 sehrish_ghaffar 1571581 at