Activists have warned that the Taliban have effectively legalised child marriage in Afghanistan through a new law that makes divorce nearly impossible for girls and young women if their husbands disagree. The legislation, approved last week, marks the first formal recognition of child marriage under the Taliban regime, according to campaigners.
While no official statistics exist, activists estimate that since the Taliban barred girls from education beyond age 11, up to 70% of girls have been pushed into early or forced marriage, with 66% of those marriages involving girls under 18. The new divorce law appears to prevent a woman from divorcing her husband solely on grounds of his absence or failure to provide financial support.
Protests have erupted in Kabul, with women's rights groups condemning the law as systemic violence. Fatima, an activist, said: 'After issuing hundreds of anti-women decrees, the Taliban are now attempting to institutionalise child marriage within the formal legal structure.' The UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) also expressed concern, calling it 'another step in the erosion of Afghan women and girls' rights.'
A Taliban government spokesman dismissed criticism, stating: 'We should pay no attention to the protests of those who are hostile, who have problems with Islam.' Recent research from the Afghanistan Human Rights Center found that most victims of child marriage report domestic violence and severe psychological distress, highlighting the human cost of the new law.
