It is almost the end of 2017. And, child marriage is a still a very relevant problem in every developing or underdeveloped country. Hence we need to close the curtain on this very serious ongoing issue which causes a serious threat to the girls' world.
And, to shed light on the evil practice, the United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women (UN Women) are working closely in Pakistan.
Recently, the HUM Bridal Couture Week has been held in Pakistan and the show's motto was 'fashion for cause.' And, designer Ali Xeeshan took to show on a very serious note and presented his showstopper in an innovative way which left an everlasting impact on the world.
Designer Xeeshan used his show to raise awareness of child marriage as he presented a young teenage girl as the showstopper for his bridal collection.
The girl walked the runway wearing a 'Bridal Uniform' — she donned a blue-coloured salwar kameez with 'gota patti' work with a school bag on her shoulders.
She has been decked in bridal jewellery including a big nose ring, a maang tika, and mehendi-clad (henna) hands.
In the meantime, her braided hair was tied with white ribbon and a garland was put on her bag full of books. The word 'POWER' has been embellished on the bag as well.
Such a unique way of using the fashion platform to address the matter of child marriage. Kudos to Ali Xeeshan.
Taking to Instagram, UN Women Pakistan shared a few pictures from the fashion event, captioning: "After several brides walked the HUM Bridal Couture Week ramp, a girl appeared wearing a school uniform embellished with bridal motifs; symbolising the unfortunate trade-off when a child is deprived of her right to an education, and is instead married. Sign the petition and raise your voice to put an end to #childmarriages."
The #BridalUniform Campaign has been initiated by UN Women Pakistan. It aims to make people aware of the long-term implications of child marriage.
As noted by The Indian Express, the donation received through the #BridalUniform Campaign will directly go to Kashf Foundation — a Ngo which works to end the child marriages.
Many Pakistani celebrities such as- singer Momina Mustehsan, actor Adnan Siddiqui, and actor Mahira Khan have signed the petition to support the noble cause.
