Aurat Foundation Quetta office organized a provincial consultation on ‘The Child Marriage Prohibition Bill, 2014’ at Serena Hotel, Quetta on June 3, 2014 under Listen project. Members of Balochistan provincial assembly (both men and women members), former senators, senior lawyers, Secretary Women’s Development, representatives from law department, senior media personnel, religious scholars, political and social activists and INGO/NGO representatives attended the consultation. The objective of the workshop was to share the first draft of the bill with different stakeholders to acquire their comments and recommendations for the betterment of that crucial bill.

Women parliamentarians who spoke at the occasion included Ms Husun Bano, MPA, JUI, Ms. Spozhmai Achakzai, MPA, PKMAP, Dr Shama Ishaq, MPA, NP, and Ms. Samina Khan, MPA, PML-N.  The proposed bill was drafted and presented by member National Commission on the Status of Women and renowned lawyer, Justice (retired) Mehta Kailashnath Kohli.

Ms. Saima Haroon from Aurat  Foundation, presented an overview on the overall situation of child marriages in the country, especially in Balochistan. Mr. Haroon Dawood, Resident Director, AF Quetta office, spoke on the problems related to child marriages and its effects on girl’s life in particular and the society at large.

The participants shared their views on different aspects of the bill and suggested that a working group should be formed to remove lacunae from the bill and include all the recommendations of stakeholders before it is introduced in the assembly.

A working group, comprising members of provincial assembly, Secretary Women’s Development, representative from law department and religious scholars was also formed to further work and lobby for the passage of the bill.