Underage Marriage Higher for Females in Pakistan
<p><span word="Raeena">Raeena</span> <span word="was">was</span> 14-<span word="years">years</span>-<span word="old">old</span> <span word="when">when</span> <span word="she">she</span> <span word="was">was</span> <span word="married">married</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="man">man</span> 21 <span word="years">years</span> <span word="her">her</span> <span word="senior">senior</span>.</p><p><span word="She">She</span> <span word="moved">moved</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="with">with</span> <span word="her">her</span> <span word="husband">husband</span>'<span word="s">s</span> <span word="family">family</span> <span word="with">with</span> <span word="little">little</span> <span word="idea">idea</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="what">what</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="marriage">marriage</span> <span word="means">means</span> <span word="or">or</span> <span word="what">what</span> <span word="was">was</span> <span word="expected">expected</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="her">her</span>.</p><p><span word="In">In</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="society">society</span> <span word="where">where</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="family">family</span>'<span word="s">s</span> <span word="honor">honor</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="often">often</span> <span word="linked">linked</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="female">female</span> <span word="sexuality">sexuality</span>, <span word="her">her</span> <span word="mother">mother</span> <span word="felt">felt</span> <span word="pressured">pressured</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="marry">marry</span> <span word="her">her</span> <span word="off">off</span> <span word="early">early</span>.</p><p>"<span word="I">I</span> <span word="was">was</span> <span word="worried">worried</span> <span word="about">about</span> <span word="my">my</span> <span word="honor">honor</span>," <span word="she">she</span> <span word="said">said</span>. "<span word="It">It</span> <span word="was">was</span> <span word="not">not</span> <span word="her">her</span> <span word="age">age</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="be">be</span> <span word="married">married</span>, <span word="but">but</span> <span word="I">I</span> <span word="was">was</span> <span word="worried">worried</span> <span word="about">about</span> <span word="her">her</span> <span word="father">father</span>'<span word="s">s</span> <span word="honor">honor</span> <span word="as">as</span> <span word="well">well</span>. <span word="That">That</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="why">why</span> <span word="I">I</span> <span word="got">got</span> <span word="her">her</span> <span word="married">married</span> <span word="off">off</span>."</p><p><span word="Raeena">Raeena</span>'<span word="s">s</span> <span word="case">case</span> <span word="isn">isn</span>'<span word="t">t</span> <span word="unique">unique</span>. <span word="Each">Each</span> <span word="year">year</span>, <span word="hundreds">hundreds</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="thousands">thousands</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="girls">girls</span> <span word="across">across</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="country">country</span> <span word="are">are</span> <span word="married">married</span> <span word="before">before</span> <span word="they">they</span> <span word="are">are</span> <span word="physically">physically</span> <span word="or">or</span> <span word="psychologically">psychologically</span> <span word="prepared">prepared</span> <span word="for">for</span> <span word="it">it</span>.</p><p><span word="While">While</span> <span word="child">child</span> <span word="marriage">marriage</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="an">an</span> <span word="issue">issue</span> <span word="for">for</span> <span word="both">both</span> <span word="sexes">sexes</span>, <span word="a">a</span> <span word="recent">recent</span> <span word="study">study</span> <span word="by">by</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="child">child</span> <span word="advocacy">advocacy</span> <span word="group">group</span> <span word="Plan">Plan</span> <span word="International">International</span> <span word="suggests">suggests</span> <span word="females">females</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="Pakistan">Pakistan</span> <span word="marry">marry</span> <span word="at">at</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="significantly">significantly</span> <span word="younger">younger</span> <span word="age">age</span> <span word="than">than</span> <span word="males">males</span>, <span word="sometimes">sometimes</span> <span word="as">as</span> <span word="early">early</span> <span word="as">as</span> <span word="their">their</span> <span word="first">first</span> <span word="menstrual">menstrual</span> <span word="cycle">cycle</span>.</p><p><span word="Accurately">Accurately</span> <span word="assessing">assessing</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="number">number</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="underage">underage</span> <span word="brides">brides</span> <span word="or">or</span> <span word="grooms">grooms</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="difficult">difficult</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="country">country</span> <span word="where">where</span> <span word="birth">birth</span> <span word="records">records</span> <span word="are">are</span> <span word="often">often</span> <span word="manipulated">manipulated</span>, <span word="but">but</span> <span word="UNICEF">UNICEF</span> <span word="estimates">estimates</span> <span word="some">some</span> 21 <span word="percent">percent</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="all">all</span> <span word="marriages">marriages</span> <span word="involve">involve</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="person">person</span> <span word="under">under</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="age">age</span> <span word="of">of</span> 18.</p><p><span word="Local">Local</span> <span word="activists">activists</span> <span word="insist">insist</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="true">true</span> <span word="figure">figure</span> — <span word="especially">especially</span> <span word="for">for</span> <span word="girls">girls</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="rural">rural</span> <span word="areas">areas</span> — <span word="is">is</span> <span word="as">as</span> <span word="high">high</span> <span word="as">as</span> 60 <span word="or">or</span> 70 <span word="percent">percent</span>.</p><p><span word="Lack">Lack</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="awareness">awareness</span> <span word="blamed">blamed</span></p><p> <span word="Activists">Activists</span> <span word="blame">blame</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="practice">practice</span> <span word="on">on</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="lack">lack</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="awareness">awareness</span>, <span word="poverty">poverty</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="perceptions">perceptions</span> <span word="about">about</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="female">female</span>'<span word="s">s</span> <span word="role">role</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="society">society</span>: <span word="sons">sons</span> <span word="are">are</span> <span word="considered">considered</span> <span word="potential">potential</span> <span word="wage">wage</span> <span word="earners">earners</span> <span word="while">while</span> <span word="daughters">daughters</span> <span word="are">are</span> <span word="considered">considered</span> <span word="financial">financial</span> <span word="burdens">burdens</span>.</p>
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