PCMI project was started with an aim to delay and ultimately prevent Child Marriages in three districts of Southern Punjab. The main objectives of the project were to facilitate attitudinal and behavioural change towards Child Marriage through community and other stakeholder’s awareness and to advocate for bringing about legislative reforms on the issue. Major highlights of the project progress are as follows;
- 20,000 young people and community influential were sensitized on adverse effects of Child marriage. o Approximately 500,00 beneficiaries benefited through SMS/FM Radio messages.
- Efforts were made with partners and networks results into generating a debate at policy level and resultantly, the Punjab assembly passed the “Punjab Child Marriage Restraint (Amendment) Act, 2015” in March 2015.
- Organized a provincial level meeting with important stakeholders and developed a joint statement of demonstration to register their concerns on new act.
- A meeting with parliamentarians was organized and a resolution was developed and signed by all the parliamentarians for the revision in the amended law (same resolution was tabled in Punjab Assembly in May, 2015).
- A national level meeting of Parliamentarians Caucus on Child Marriage was conducted in Islamabad where the parliamentarians from all regions made commitments to follow the initiatives of the Sindh Assembly on Child Marriage in their respective regions.
- A Provincial level media workshop was also organized to augment the media reporting on child centered issues and to engage the media for lobbying against Child Marriage.