Saima (name changed) was just 15 when she was married off last summer to a man twice her age in Dadu district in Pakistan’s southern Sindh province. The wedding took place shortly ahead of the monsoon season, a time of torrential rains and inundations.
With the looming threat of another natural disaster similar to the 2022 floods that displaced millions, Saima’s family, already struggling due to climate calamities, felt compelled to marry her off in exchange for financial assistance. Poverty and displacement force many families to resort to child marriages as a means of survival.
Despite legal age restrictions on marriage, child marriages are rampant in Pakistan, with climate change exacerbating the issue. Extreme weather events, such as floods, have been linked to an increased risk of child marriages. Girls like Saima face early motherhood, health complications, and limited education and job opportunities as a result.
Efforts to raise awareness, strengthen laws, and provide social security measures are crucial in combating this destructive practice and safeguarding the well-being of vulnerable girls in Pakistan.
