In the Afghan province of Helmand, a six-year-old girl was given in marriage to a 45-year-old man. The event caused a wave of indignation after photos from the wedding ceremony began to be actively distributed on social networks. About this informs Amu TV.
The wedding took place in Marjah district. According to local media, the girl’s father handed over the child in exchange for a monetary reward. The “groom” already had two wives.
Before the actual handover of the child, Taliban representatives intervened. The man was detained briefly without any charges. He was ordered to “wait until the girl is nine years old” before taking her to his home.
Photos from the ceremony, in which an adult man poses next to a minor girl, caused outrage on the Internet and among human rights activists. They say the case is further evidence of a growing number of child marriages in southern Afghanistan – particularly in Helmand, Kandahar and Zabul provinces, where power is firmly held by the Taliban.
Photo: nv.ua
Human rights defenders have repeatedly emphasized that the lack of a clear legal framework, weak control and passive reaction of local authorities contribute to the spread of such practices. Some organizations see such cases as part of a wider humanitarian crisis that is particularly affecting girls across the country.
According to report UN, the Taliban regime restricts the rights of Afghan women to work, travel and health care unless they have a male guardian. In the document, which covers the period from October to December 2023, the UN Mission in Afghanistan noted that the Taliban impose severe restrictions on women who do not have a husband or guardian (mahram). In particular, they are advised to get married in order to keep their jobs in medical institutions, saying that it is “unacceptable” for an unmarried woman to work.
