Married as Compensation at Age 5!

Child Brides in Pakistan

In Pakistan children as young as five are being forcibly married off as compensation for family and tribal disputes.  The custom known as ‘swara” is illegal but there were 180 reported cases in 2012 with many more cases remaining undetected.  The Sydney Morning Herald recently reported, “According to tradition, the compensation should end the dispute and bring the two warring families together in harmony.  In practice, however, the marriage only provides cover for revenge.  Swara girls become the targets of all anger and hatred in their new home. They are often bitten, emotionally tortured, and sometimes raped by other men in the family. They are made to suffer for a crime they did not commit.”  Read more…