Reports published over the past two days have highlighted two cases of child marriage in Helmand province, involving two girls aged 6 and 8 who were reportedly due to marry men aged 60 and 80. According to the reports, one of the marriages was prevented before it took place, while the other was annulled following a judicial review.
The Taliban’s media office in Helmand said on Saturday, the seventh of Sunbula, that in Nad Ali district of the province, the family of an 8-year-old girl had arranged her marriage to an 80-year-old man. According to the office, the local Department for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice intervened after learning of the case and prevented the marriage from proceeding.
The Taliban’s media office in Helmand reported another case in a separate statement on Sunday, saying that a 6-year-old girl in Garmser district had been married to a 60-year-old man in exchange for 200,000 Pakistani rupees. According to the statement, the child’s father is addicted to drugs and had arranged the marriage in return for receiving the money.
The statement added that the case was referred to the primary court for legal review. According to the Taliban, after examining the case, the court annulled the marriage of the 6-year-old girl. Taliban officials have not provided further details about the child’s current situation or how her family circumstances will be addressed.
Child marriage in Afghanistan has been a growing concern among international organizations and child-rights advocates in recent years. These concerns have intensified since the Taliban returned to power in 2021, amid worsening economic hardship and widespread restrictions on girls’ education. International organizations have repeatedly warned that poverty and the denial of access to education could contribute to an increase in child marriage in Afghanistan.
Writer:Salima Aryaei
