Project on Early Marriages (POEM) Project on Early Marriages (POEM)
Early and forced marriage is one of the most extreme forms of violence against women and puts women and girls at particular risk of sexual, physical and psychological violence throughout their lives. Girls who marry before the age of 18 are more likely to experience domestic violence than unmarried girl and are also more likely to report that their first sexual experience was forced. Many girls are moved to their in-laws# house where they lack the psychosocial support of their parents andeasily become subject to violent behaviour by their in-laws. Often married to much older men, they are more likely to believe that a man is sometimes justified in beating his wife than women who marry later. Girls entering marriage at a young age often suffer emotional pressure from their families, and husbands or in-laws can limit their ability to make decisions about their own lives and bodies. As they do not have power to negotiate use of contraceptives they are in addition often exposed to early childbearing, which puts them at risk of suffering life-threatening or debilitating conditions . Adolescent girls are not physically, mentally and emotionally prepared for childbirth, and global figures show that pregnant girls below the age of 15 are 5 times more likely to die during pregnancy than those above 20 . Forced sexual initiation and early pregnancy can also have long lasting effects on the mental healthof girls for years after .
The practice of child marriage is particularly pertinent in rural areas where an estimated 37% of girls are victims of child marriage compared to 21% in urban areas . The unofficial number is expected to be substantially higher, particular in rural areas, but due to low level of birth and marriage registration child marriage data is very inaccurate . A recent UNFPA study on child marriage stresses the need in Pakistan to strengthen and better enforce child marriage laws, enhance and enforce registration, promote education and campaign to educate the public . Different measures have been taken in recent years in Pakistan to protect children#s rights, such as the ratification of #Convention of the Rights of the Child#, and adoption of the #Prevention of Anti Women Practices Act, 2011#. However, violence and gender discrimination against children and especially girls largely remain unchallenged in many areas of Pakistan. There is an environment of impunity with low punishments and weak law enforcement. A decade of advocacy aiming at amending the #Child Marriage Restraint Act# has so far been unsuccessful, and the legal age of marriage still differs for girls and boys (16 and 18 respectively). According to the latest Pakistan Demographic and Household Survey , 13% of girls are married before they reach theage of 15.
Objectives of the project:
Increased awareness and a positive attitudinal change in young people, parents and gatekeepers in four districts of rural Punjab and Sindh on the harmful effects of early marriage and teenage pregnancies.
Increasein the evidence base on early marriage in rural areas of Pakistan and its relationship with health status and socio-economic factors.

Outcomes:
Individuals exposed to telefilm on negative effects of early marriage and early pregnancies
Capacity built of personnel from ON partner organizations on running Early Marriage field manual
Research report from study findings written,printed and disseminated to partners and stakeholders.

Intervention Strategies
Situational Analysis/Research Study on earlymarriage and maternal health in four districts of Pakistan: There is a dearth of existing data on the prevalence of early and child marriages in Pakistan as well as on its contributing factors and the negative consequences. Aahung proposes conducting asituational analysis/research study on this topic in two districts in rural Sindh and two in rural Punjab. The identified districts are Jacobabad, Shahdadkot, Muzzafargarh and Lodhran. A household survey of 1000 households will be conducted (250 in each district) which will gather information on factors contributing to early marriage, age of marriage of men and women in the household, age at first birth, number of children, health complications and status of women and children, and other related socio-economic variables. Findings from this research study will be disseminated in a national workshop and will be utilized for advocacy purposes and to form an evidence base for future programs on early marriage in the region.

Communications-Mobile Cinema for Social Change: The proposed activity aims to use the power of film as a strong communication tool to generate awareness, initiate discussion and debate and bring about social change in rural communities. Research on mobile cinema campaigns around the world(see annex) has shown that educational films developed for specific target audiences do have the power to being about changes in knowledge, attitudes and behaviors.
Aahung will develop a short tele-film on the negative consequences of early marriage andwill air it in twenty chosen clusters within the selected districts through a mobile cinema campaign. Four screenings will be held in each cluster to maximize the viewership. A small scale market survey of rural Sindh conducted by Aahung has shown that communities are open to receiving this form of information if it is preceded by a small sensitization session with the community leaders and gatekeepers. The target audience for this campaign is parents and gatekeepers in the community who have a say indecision making around age of marriage. The focus of the project will be on fathers, community leaders, religious leaders, and young unmarried boys and men. In female stakeholders-the focus will be on older women, mothers, mother in laws who have controloverageof marriage and dynamics in the household. Young women will also be targeted but due to their limited decision making abilities-they will not be the primary focus of this campaign.

Capacity Building of ON Field Partners onEarly Marriage Field Manual:Oxfam Novib has identified 15 field staff from partner organizations in Sindh and 15 from Punjab who work in the community on mobilization and sensitization. Aahung will develop a field manual on risks and consequences of early marriage and willbuildthe capacity of the field workers to implement this manual in their project sites. Each of these workers will reach approximately 350 community members per month which indicate total outreach of 73,500 in a year. By building the capacity of other ONpartners to work and prioritize early marriage prevention we can contribute towards sustainability of the project past its duration.