KPCSW Calls on Speaker to Lead Provincial Consensus on Ending Child Marriage

The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Commission on the Status of Women (KPCSW) has formally requested the Speaker of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly to take the lead in building a broad-based political consensus on raising the minimum legal age of marriage to 18 years in the province, describing the issue as a critical child protection and human rights priority.

The request follows a high-level Ministerial Briefing on Child Marriage held on 22 July 2026, jointly organized by the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Commission on the Status of Women (KPCSW), UN Women, and Blue Veins.

The briefing brought together parliamentarians, a finance advisor, senior government officials, development partners, legal experts, civil society organizations, and youth representatives to discuss practical measures to end child marriage and strengthen legal protections for children in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

Participants unanimously agreed that meaningful legislative reform requires broad political ownership and recommended that the Office of the Speaker of the Provincial Assembly facilitate an inclusive dialogue among all parliamentary parties and key stakeholders to build consensus on the proposed reforms.

Acting on this recommendation, KPCSW Chairperson Sumera Shams has formally written to Speaker Babar Saleem Swati, requesting him to convene a closed-door multi-stakeholder consultation within the Provincial Assembly.

The proposed consultation would bring together parliamentary leaders, relevant government departments, religious scholars, legal experts, development partners, civil society organizations, and youth representatives to discuss the proposed amendments and identify a shared way forward for protecting children from child marriage.

The Commission emphasized that Khyber Pakhtunkhwa is currently one of the two provinces in Pakistan where the minimum legal age of marriage for girls remains 16 years, whereas Sindh, Punjab, Balochistan and the Islamabad Capital Territory have already established 18 years as the minimum legal age of marriage for both girls and boys.

Bringing provincial legislation in line with the national standard would strengthen child protection, improve girls’ access to education, reduce harmful practices and reinforce Pakistan’s constitutional and international commitments to the rights of children.

The Commission further noted that the Speaker’s Office is uniquely positioned to provide a neutral parliamentary platform where legislators from across the political spectrum can engage in constructive dialogue, consider evidence, hear diverse perspectives and work towards a consensus-based legislative solution that places the best interests of children at its centre.

Sumera Shams, Chairperson of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Commission on the Status of Women, said, “We appreciate the leadership of the Honorable Speaker and the support of the Secretary Provincial Assembly in facilitating dialogue on this important issue.

Their leadership can help build the consensus needed to strengthen child protection and advance this important legislative reform.”

The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Commission on the Status of Women reaffirmed its commitment to ending child marriage and promoting the rights, dignity and well-being of every child in the province.

Through its dedicated Sub-Committee on Child Marriage, the Commission will continue to engage with legislators, government institutions, development partners, religious scholars, civil society organizations, and communities to promote evidence-based legal and policy reforms, strengthen public awareness, and build lasting consensus for ending child marriage in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.