This Pakistani Photo-Series Featuring Young Sportspeople Urges All To Stop Child Marriages

Child Marriage

Child marriage is a social vice not only in our country but also in our neighbouring nations Pakistan, Bangladesh and Nepal. There are millions of child brides each year stripped of happiness and pushed into marriage due to parental pressure. Millions of girls are married off in South Asia before they turn 18.

As a part of their ‘Fashion For Cause’ Campaign, Pakistani photographer Waqar J Khan shot with young girls who are aspiring sportsperson, too. The concept of the shoot is showing the aggression and sadness on their faces as brides and them as powerful and confident as sports players who have the courage to face the world.

Have the look!

1. Areeba is eight years old and wants to be a cricketer.

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2. Suman is twelve years old and is an aspiring boxer.

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3. Esha is a ten-year-old football player and wants to represent her country at Nationals.

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4. Sadly, girls in Pakistan are married off at a very tender age.

 

5. Preparing the girls to face the camera.

 

6. The behind-the-scenes shots.

 

7. These girls are posing for a cause.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BRGQRnPlNXV/?taken-by=waqar_j_khan

 

Along with the campaign he also posted,

This time we did another fashion shoot for cause to built awareness and promote women’s sports fields. These girls are from Orangi town, Karachi which is an unprivileged area in Khi; from young Muslim sports complex in Orangi west. As coach Zakir stated that this sports not just a sports complex but also a place with tolerance built in each other cast systems, the girls coming from backgrounds of Balochi, Pathan, Urdu-speaking-Sindhi and other cast systems. Built a tolerance for one another and supports to create an image in families through these girls of how they are treated by the coaches and other girls of other cast systems and set an example. He said previously it was very difficult but now it’s building an awareness of education along with sports education in young girls to motivate them to be selected later in national levels. And also builds confidence in them and proud moment in their families and parents having trust to sent these young girls for sports, as the boxer model is the first girl from her family to step out of her house, previously parents used to strictly discourage girls to step out their homes as its bayperdigi and forced them to marriage. The girls participated as models in this cause are – Boxer named Suman 12 years in grade 8. Football player Esha 10 years in grade 5. And cricketer Areeba 8 years in grade 4.
The fashion shoot has the concept of showing the aggression and sadness on their faces as brides and on the other hand, they are powerful and confident as sports players and have courage to face the world.

 

The photographer even urged to share the campaign. It’s high time we said no to child marriage and protect a girl child. Let her be what she wants to be. Who knows you are curbing a champion in the making by marrying her off at a tender age?

Say no to child bride, instead focus on making her future bright!

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