Child Marriage Traditions in Pakistan: Reconstructing (In) Security and Subjective Well-Being of Children

Authors

Makhtoom Ahmed, Balochistan University of Information Technology, Engineering and Management Sciences, Quetta, PakistanFollow
Muhammad Zaman, Department of Sociology, Quaid-i-Azam University IslamabadFollow
Hifza Irfan, School of Sociology, Quaid-i-Azam University IslamabadFollow

Abstract

This article reports on child marriage traditions in the past and in contemporary times vis-a-vis promoting security, insecurity, and well-being in Pakistan. Although the practice of child marriage has begun to decline due to social change, modernisation, and development in urban areas, it tends to linger on in rural communities within Pakistan. In such communities, there is a general perception that early marriage is in the interest and well-being of couples as it allows them to experience long-term marital intimacy and life satisfaction. The present study is part of an extensive ethnographic study in which the authors analysed interview data from case studies of 20 married couples who had experienced child marriages. The investigation revealed that in some cases, child marriage involving forced and mismatched pairings tended to result in psychological, physical, and sexual violence to the female child partner. It is argued that child marriage brings insecurity, marital dissatisfaction, and negative consequences for the children’s subjective well-being. The interplay of security and insecurity of child marriages and the subjective experience of the actors is presented within the individual agency framework.

Keywords

child marriage, (in) security, subjective well-being, ethnography, qualitative interview, Pakistan

Author Bio(s)

Mr. Makhtoom Ahmed is a lecturer of Sociology in Balochistan University of Information Technology, Engineering and Management Sciences. Please direct correspondence to makhtoom.ahmed@buitms.edu.pk

Dr. Muhammad Zaman is a professor of Sociology in Quaid-i-Azam University, Islamabad.

Hifza Irfan is a Ph.D. student at the School of Sociology, Quaid-i-Azam University, Islamabad.

Acknowledgements

We acknowledge and thank Dr. Imran Sabir, assistant professor of sociology from Quaid-i-Azam University, for editing the text of the manuscript.

Publication Date

3-23-2025

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 4.0 International License.

DOI

10.46743/2160-3715/2025.7515

Recommended APA Citation

Ahmed, M., Zaman, M., & Irfan, H. (2025). Child marriage traditions in Pakistan: Reconstructing (in) security and subjective well-being of children. The Qualitative Report, 30(3), 3227-3254. https://doi.org/10.46743/2160-3715/2025.7515