Tatsat Chronicle Magazine

Growing Concern Over Child Marriage Scene in Afghanistan

November 15, 2021
child marriage afghanistan

Afghanistan has been in the eye of the storm for decades, and now especially since the Taliban got a fresh run over the region for a second time. This was the case after the US troops were pulled out of the region. Now, with the Taliban rule in the country that was already in great conflict and turmoil, there has been a further breakdown of vital human rights in the region. The growing concern over child marriages in Afghanistan is something that has been highlighted by various women’s groups and human rights communities the world over.

Joining them now in a statement in the Office of the Spokesperson of the UN Secretary General. The statement talked about the main points of concern and the grave, negative social impact, when it comes to child marriages in Afghanistan:

  • Some girls given away in child marriage are as little as 20 days old;
  • The main draw is the dowry which would help such families combat the growing poverty that is taking over the region;
  • 28 per cent of Afghan women between the age of 15 to 49 are married off before they reach the age of 18;
  • Many of them are promised marriage before they reach adult age.

With these issues, one can easily see that child marriage would be the bane of their society as child and women welfare would immediately take a back seat. More than this, the health and safety of women and their offspring would be in question along with rising cases of domestic violence. The final blow would be the low representation of women when it comes to equality in governance and policy. This would lead to a decline of inclusion in the area as well as a complete downfall of human rights, which is not necessarily an ethical path to take.