child marriage
Newsletter
Credit: Assad Tanoli/Unsplash
Extreme weather is worsening child marriages in Pakistan
Child marriages in Pakistan are on the rise as extreme weather events like floods force impoverished families to marry off young daughters for financial survival.
In short:
- Families displaced by floods in Pakistan are increasingly marrying off young girls to cope with economic hardships.
- Child marriages are often seen as a means of survival, with parents trading daughters for money to reduce household burdens.
- Rights groups urge stronger laws and education to combat the rise in child marriages driven by climate crises.
Key quote:
“These are marriages of survival prompted by the monsoon season and the reason behind marrying off a girl is to reduce the feeding costs at home during the climate calamity.”
— Mashooque Birhmani, founder of NGO Sujag Sansar
Why this matters:
As climate change intensifies, vulnerable populations, especially young girls, face growing risks of exploitation. Addressing child marriage requires urgent action to protect the rights and futures of these children.
Related:
Keep reading...Show less
Newsletter
On Jakarta's vanishing shoreline, climate change seen abetting child marriages
Marriage before the age of 18 is classified as a form of gender-based violence by the United Nations, but is commonly practiced in low-income communities to mitigate household economic pressures.
Top Story
Photo by Amevi Wisdom on Unsplash
More children than ever displaced and at risk of violence and exploitation, U.N. warns
A confluence of crises and disasters has driven the number of children currently displaced from their homes to an unprecedented 42 million, and it has left those young people vulnerable to criminal violence and exploitation.
Horn of Africa drought puts 3.6m children at risk of dropping out of school
Experts warn that girls’ education will be worst hit by the drought, as many families are forced to move away from schools.
In Afghanistan, droughts drive child marriages
Reports suggest a spike in such marriages, spurred in part by the effects of climate change on the agrarian country.
In Afghanistan, droughts drive child marriages
Reports suggest a spike in such marriages, spurred in part by the effects of climate change on the agrarian country.
Newsletter
time.com
How climate change in Kenya is driving child marriage
Climate change has given rise to a resurgence of child marriage in northern Kenya in the last five years, experts say.
ORIGINAL REPORTING
MOST POPULAR
CLIMATE
