WITH reference to the article `No child`s play` (July 7) by Zubeida Mustafa, the writer perfectly paints the sad picture of how our country has let down its youth in not stopping the practices of child marriage and child labour.
Girls have a right to not be forced into marriage as minors and they have a right to stay in school. Women make up the backbone ofany country and to subject them to cruelties such as child marriage, poverty and gender-based violence is to keep a country from being successful.
Each year, 15 million girls are married before the age of 18 every year. According toareporthy Save the Children,every second girl under 15 is forced to marry a much older man.
Child marriage starts a cycle of disadvantage that denies girls their most fundamental rights to learn and develop, to be children, to be empowered and be free from harm.
Why has the government abdicated its responsibility to ensure that girls are protected against this pervasiveillthat plagues our society? Only education will cure this epidemic.
