KARACHI – More than 24 percent of women in Sindh were married before turning 18, while 7.5% entered marriage before the age of 15, according to a report on child rights in Pakistan.
The findings are included in The State of Children in Pakistan 2024, prepared by the National Commission on the Rights of Child (NCRC) with support from UNICEF.
The report also highlighted a gender gap in early marriages. Among males in Sindh, 8.5% were married before reaching 18, while 2.2% married before the age of 15.
According to the report, the findings are based on Sindh’s Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey for 2018–19. The figures therefore reflect data from that period and should not be interpreted as the current prevalence of child marriage in 2026.
The broader research involved interviews and group discussions with more than 400 men, women, boys, girls and other relevant participants from diverse social backgrounds across Punjab, Sindh, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan.
The report identifies several factors contributing to child marriage, including poverty, limited access to education, social expectations and gender inequality.
It emphasises that early marriage is not simply a matter of family decisions, but is also linked to wider socioeconomic and cultural challenges.
