Balochistan becomes latest province to ban child marriage in Pakistan

ISLAMABAD, 19 November 2025 - Children in Balochistan in southwest Pakistan are now legally protected from early marriage after the province passed a law raising the legal age for marriage to 18 following a campaign by Save the Children and other child rights organisations.

A Save the Children survey in 2024 found that nearly two thirds of marriages in Balochistan happened before the age of 18 – 40% of them before the age of 16 – which is far higher than the national average of one in six girls marrying before 18 [2].  One in four girls surveyed in the province were under 16 when they had their first child, and 60% gave birth before 18 [1].  

One community member told Save the Children that ‘in our culture, it’s believed that the earlier a girl is married, the better it is for her honour and the family’s reputation’, while another said that marrying daughters early means ‘one less mouth to feed’.

Child marriage has devastating consequences for girls, depriving them of their rights to health, education, safety and participation. Girls married young are far less likely to stay in school, impacting their economic independence and decision-making and putting them at higher risk of physical and sexual violence. They also face more complications in pregnancy and childbirth.

Before the law was passed, the legal age for marriage in Balochistan was 18 for boys and 16 for girls. The new law follows similar legislation in Sindh province, but the legal age for marriage remains at 16 for girls in Punjab – the most populous of Pakistan’s four provinces - and in Kyhber Pakhtunkhwa. Earlier this year the Islamabad Capital Territory passed a landmark law outlawing child marriage.

Save the Children played a key role in calling for the new law in Balochistan, using evidence-based campaigns and advocacy with government officials and policy makers. The child rights organisation engaged with local civil society groups, formed provincial advocacy forums, and amplified youth voices, ensuring that unified demands were presented to policy makers and creating sustained pressure and consensus for the new legislation.

Khuram Gondal, Country Director, Save the Children Pakistan said:

“This is a landmark moment for children in Balochistan and a historic moment for child rights in Pakistan, but now it’s vital that the law is enforced and the causes of early marriage are tackled.

“We congratulate the Government of Balochistan on this important step. However, true change requires more than policies; it demands consistency, commitment, and the collective efforts of government, civil society, and local partners.

“We are also calling on other provinces to follow Balochistan, Sindh and Islamabad by introducing similar legislation to protect girls and boys from early marriage.”

Save the Children has been working in Pakistan since 1979 and has reached at least 14 million beneficiaries, including children, through programmes in health and nutrition, education, child protection, livelihoods and through our humanitarian response programmes.

References:

Through its Grassroots Action to End Child, Early & Forced Marriages (CEFM) project, supported by the US Department of State, Save the Children empowers civil society organizations in Balochistan and Sindh to implement gender-transformative programs and advocacy initiatives.

[1] https://resourcecentre.savethechildren.net/document/grassroot-action-to-end-child-early-and-forced-marriage-cefm-baseline-report

[2] https://www.unicef.org/pakistan/documents/child-marriage-country-profile-pakistan