This document outlines a research project on underage marriages in Pakistan. It includes an abstract, acknowledgements, introduction reviewing background and defining the problem, a literature review on the issue, methodology describing research tools and methods used, an analysis of the data and discussion of key findings. It concludes with recommendations to address underage marriages and references literature and data sources. Appendices include questionnaires used in surveys, graphs of survey results, and interview questions asked to individuals involved in the issue.

1. THE PROBLEMS, PRACTICES
AND POSSIBILITIES OF
UNDERAGE MARRIAGES IN
PAKISTAN
Done By:
M.Mohsin Shahzad
From:
Lahore, Pakistan

2. ABSTRACT
 Child marriages
 Types of practice
 Acknowledgements
 Introduction
 Literature review
 Methodology

3.  Analysis
 Conclusions
 Recommendation
 References
 Appendix
o Graphs
o Questionnaires
o Interview questions

4. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
 Underage married couple (Irfan and Saba)
 Regional director(Punjab) of Aurat Foundation
 Sir Shahid Siddiqui
 Miss Munazza Hassan

5. INTRODUCTION
 Description of background
 Description of problem
 Scope

6. LITERATURE REVIEW
 Social evil
 In Pakistan
 Reasons
 Laws
 Religions point of view
 Regions

7. METHODOLOGY
 Research Tools
o Internet
o Television
o Print media (Newspapers)
o Advertisements
o Flyers, leaflets, pamphlets
o Legal Documents
 Research Methods
o Interviews (Personalities who have dealt with such issues before
e.g. Members of NGO’s (such as Aurat Foundation) and families
who have experienced such an issue before)
o Survey (sample size = 40)

8. ANALYSIS OF DATAAND
DISCUSSION
 Marriageable age
oMales=25
oFemales=23
 Laws are ineffective
 Child marriages are mostly practiced in lower class
 Major causes are customs and traditions and lack of
education

9. CONCLUSIONS
 Majority against child marriages
 Little or no law implementation
 Not only restricted to underdeveloped regions
 Decline due to awareness and education
 Still much work needed

10. RECOMMENDATIONS
 Increasing education
 Reducing unemployment
 Introducing and implementing laws
 Raising awareness
 Creating and maintaining marriage registers

11. REFERENCES
 Books
 Journals/Magazines
 Websites
 Newspapers
 Encyclopedia

12. Graphs
0
2
4
6
8
10
12
14
16
18
Customs and tradition Lack of education Lack of resources family pressure
Reasons of underage marriages according to respondents
Reasons of underage
marriages according to
respondents

13. Underage marriages by social class
(Based on my own survey)
Underage marriages by social class
Lower class
Lower middle class
Upper middle class
Upper class

14. APPENDIX
 Questionnaires:
 Do you know about underage/child marriages?
 Yes
 No
 Do you think underage marriages should be allowed in our country?
 Yes
 No
 Do you know about any laws against underage marriages in our country?
 Yes
 No
 Do you think that the laws in our country are effective in preventing underage
marriages?
 Yes
 No
 Do you think underage marriages are affected by social class (upper, lower and
middle class)?
 Yes
 No

15.  Do you think education has an impact on such an issue (underage marriages)?
 Yes
 No
 Do you think development of a region affects such an issue (underage marriages)?
 Yes
 No
 According to you has there been an increase or decrease in underage marriages in
our country in the past 10 years?
 Increase
 Decrease
 Which according to you is the most important reason of under age marriages?
Rank from 1 to 4 (1 being the most important and 4 being the least important)
___Customs and Traditions ___Lack of resources ___Lack of education
___Family pressure
 If underage marriages are affected by social class then according to you in which
social class, underage marriages are practiced the most?
Rank from 1 to 4 (1 being the widely practiced and 4 being the least practiced)
___Lower class ___Lower middle class ___Upper middle class
___Upper class

16.  Interview Question:
 From underage married couple (Irfan and Saba)
 First of all, how would you define underage marriages?
 What is your education?
 What made you choose this field?
 How did you start?
 How long have you been in this field?
 How was your experience during this journey?
 What kind of hardships did you face?
 What is your perspective of underage marriages?

17.  What according to you is the major reason for underage marriages in our
country?
 Where does your NGO stand now and what do you expect in the future?
 Do you foresee any increase in the number of underage marriages in future?
 Do you think that our country’s laws are effective in preventing underage
marriages?
 Do you get any help, support and funding locally or from abroad?
 What are the strategies you employ to prevent child marriages?
 What is the role of media in such issues? I mean that does media prove to be of
any help and support in your cause?
 What would you recommend in order to abolish child marriages in our
country?

18.  From regional director (Punjab) of Aurat foundation
 First of all, how would you define underage marriages?
 What is your education?
 What made you choose this field?
 How long have you been in this field?
 How was your experience during this journey?
 What kind of hardships did you face?
 What is your perspective of underage marriages?
 What according to you is the major reason for underage marriages in our
country?

19.  Where does your NGO stand now and what do you expect in the future?
 Do you foresee any increase in the number of underage marriages in near
future ?
 You are playing an important part in society. Where do you get your
inspiration from?
 Do you think that our country’s laws are effective in preventing underage
marriages?
 Do you get any help, support and funding locally or from abroad?
 What are the strategies you employ to prevent child marriages?
 What is the role of media in such issues? I mean that does media prove to
be of any help and support in your cause?
 What would you recommend in order to abolish child marriages in our
country?