The Taliban has recently acknowledged the practice of child marriages by introducing new family regulations with distressing guidelines. This development comes after Afghanistan legalized domestic violence, further restricting women’s rights. The acceptance of minors marrying adult males is now permitted under the “Principles of Separation Between Spouses,” a 31-page article published by militant extremist officials. The document covers various aspects, including arrangements for children’s unions, guidelines for ‘virgin girls,’ breastfeeding, forced separation, apostasy, adultery, and missing spouses.
According to the regulations, a female child can marry an adult with the option of seeking annulment upon reaching puberty with a court order. The marriage must be arranged by relatives other than the father or grandfather, with social compatibility and an appropriate dowry being essential. The Taliban warns that abusive, mentally unfit, or morally corrupt guardians could render these marriages invalid. Shockingly, the document suggests that the silence of a ‘virgin girl’ could be interpreted as consent to marriage.
Afghanistan no longer has an official minimum marriage age, as the Taliban has removed the previously established age limit of 16 after the 2001 Western invasion. Despite this, the Taliban condemned a 45-year-old man who married a six-year-old girl, capturing him and ordering him to wait until the child turns nine before taking her home.
Statistics from Girls Not Brides reveal that 28.7% of Afghan girls marry before 18, with 9.6% marrying before 15. A United Nations report from last year highlighted a 25% increase in child and forced marriages due to systematic oppression. Under Taliban rule, a girl’s ‘marriageable age’ is determined by Islamic law, with puberty being the threshold, disregarding the girl’s choice.
This issue persists in a country where women are marginalized from public life, and families often resort to selling their daughters out of desperation. The practice of ‘walwar,’ exchanging girls for cash based on looks, health, and education, has thrived since the Taliban regained power. Women in Afghanistan face severe restrictions, prohibited from public speaking or revealing their faces outside their homes, and are limited in places they can visit, such as gyms, public baths, and beauty salons.