Sarah Ahmad (T.I), MPA and convener of the Gender Mainstreaming Committee and the Child Rights Caucus, chaired a parliamentary consultation at the Provincial Assembly of the Punjab organised by UNFPA Pakistan under the Aawaz II initiative. The meeting centred on strategies for ending child marriage and protecting the rights and future of girls across Punjab.
Speaker Punjab Assembly Malik Muhammad Ahmad Khan attended the consultation as chief guest, while members of the Punjab Assembly joined alongside a representative of the US Consulate, the Secretary General of the Punjab Assembly, the Country Representative of UNFPA and other national and international stakeholders. The broad participation underscored a shared resolve to address child marriage within provincial and national frameworks.
Participants reaffirmed a strong commitment to ending child marriage, emphasising the need to strengthen legislation and ensure implementation that safeguards girls’ education, health and opportunities. Lawmakers and stakeholders discussed coordinated actions to reinforce legal protections and to keep girls in school as a primary defence against early marriage.
The consultation highlighted the Provincial Assembly’s role in driving legislative and policy measures, and the sustaining partnership with UNFPA and international partners to translate commitments into tangible outcomes. Continued parliamentary focus on ending child marriage was presented as essential to secure healthier futures for young girls across Punjab.
