Forced and Underage Marriage in Afghanistan: A Violation of the Rights of Women and Girls

Mahramali Alamaian:Human Rights Researcher 

Forced and underage marriage in Afghanistan is a deeply complex issue with a long historical background. However, statistics indicate that these practices have significantly increased since the Taliban's return to power in August 2021. Although the Taliban claim to have prevented approximately 5,000 cases of forced marriage, numerous reports from credible independent sources and field observations suggest that this phenomenon has not only persisted but has escalated to a catastrophic level.

According to a report by the Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction (SIGAR)—the primary U.S. oversight body for Afghanistan—approximately 35% of girls have been forced into marriage before the age of 18, and 17% before the age of 15 since 2021. In the short period between December 2022 and February 2023 alone, 578 cases of forced marriage were recorded, 361 of which involved minors.

Furthermore, field research conducted by Amu TV across eight Afghan provinces reveals alarming and tragic reports from eyewitnesses over the past two years. This research identifies the severe restrictions imposed by the Taliban as the primary driver of forced marriages, playing a more significant role than factors present before 2021.

However, given the long-standing economic and cultural challenges in Afghanistan, other factors remain critical:

• Economic Poverty (37.5%): Extreme financial hardship forces many families to marry off their daughters to reduce household expenses or to secure a dowry for survival.
• Harmful Cultural Traditions (37.3%): Ancient and harmful customs continue to claim young victims. This includes the practice of "Baad" (giving a girl as restitution to resolve tribal or ethnic conflicts) or using daughters as a means to settle family debts.
• Ban on Education (20.8%): The Taliban’s draconian restrictions on education and employment have left millions of girls confined to their homes, pushing families toward early marriage as a perceived "option" in a vacuum of opportunity.

In the four years since Afghanistan fell under the control of the Taliban and their extremist ideology, the situation has worsened. Beyond poverty and culture, many families now marry off their daughters early out of fear—specifically to prevent them from being forcibly taken by Taliban members.

Three years ago, the United Nations predicted that continued restrictions would lead to a 25% increase in underage marriages, a 45% increase in early childbearing, and a 50% increase in maternal mortality. Current data suggests the reality may have already surpassed these grim projections.

The consequences of this crisis are devastating:

• 37% of these marriages lead to domestic violence.
• 16.6% of these girls suffer from severe depression and anxiety.
• 12.5% of those forced into marriage have either committed suicide or fled their homes.

Despite the Taliban's claims of intervention, the evidence shows that the combination of absolute poverty, systemic oppression, and harmful traditions is fueling a human rights disaster. This situation demands urgent attention from the international community and immediate protective action from human rights organizations to safeguard the lives and rights of girls in Afghanistan.