Staff Reporter
Peshawar: A provincial showcasing held in Peshawar brought together the Local Government, Elections and Rural Development (LGE&RDD) Department, Group Development Pakistan (GDP), UNFPA, FCDO, government institutions, civil society, and frontline duty-bearers to highlight Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s progress in strengthening institutional systems to prevent child marriage and safeguard girls’ rights.
Organized under the banner “Transforming Systems, Protecting Futures: Institutional Strengthening for Child Marriage Prevention,” the event underscored the Government of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s commitment to embedding child marriage prevention within routine governance, service delivery, and accountability mechanisms.
Speakers highlighted achievements under LGE&RDD’s multi-year reforms, supported by UNFPA and implemented with GDP under the FCDO-funded AAWAZ II Programme, which have integrated child marriage prevention as a core priority of local government systems.
Since 2024, 976 frontline and supervisory officials—including 416 Nikah Registrars, 395 VC/NC Secretaries, and 96 oversight officials—have been trained on child marriage laws, child protection, gender equality, and family laws across KP. An internal pool of 33 Master Trainers has also been developed to ensure sustainability and continuity within government systems.
Director LGE&RDD KP, Mr. Sardar ul Mulk, emphasized system-wide accountability, stating that formalized certification, strengthened monitoring, and routine administrative oversight are key to ensuring consistent and sustainable compliance with child marriage laws across all districts, including minority communities.
Former Director Operations LGE&RDD, Mr. Saeed Rehman, highlighted evidence-based reforms, including revisions to the Nikahnama to make age disclosure mandatory and pilot initiatives with NADRA to digitize marriage registration.
From a child protection perspective, Mr. Ijaz Ahmed Khan, Deputy Chief, KP Child Protection and Welfare Commission, stressed coordination between local government and protection systems, noting successful intervention in over 200 cases, while calling for increased reporting.
Chairperson KP Commission on the Status of Women, Dr. Sumaira Shams, emphasized strict enforcement of marriage laws and urged approval and notification of the Child Marriage Restraint Act (CMRA) Bill in KP.
Ms. Sameen Sheikh, Executive Director GDP, and Ms. Mahjabeen Qazi, Provincial Program Coordinator UNFPA KP, highlighted the importance of institutional ownership, standardized training, and long-term partnerships for sustainable impact.
Participants concluded by reaffirming their commitment to coordinated action, accountability, and sustained capacity development to ensure child marriage prevention remains embedded within routine governance, safeguarding girls’ education, health, protection, and future across Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
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