The Taliban regime in Afghanistan has enacted a controversial family law regulation that formally permits child marriage, drawing widespread international condemnation. The 31-article regulation, titled 'P...' (as per the source), includes provisions that treat a virgin girl's silence as consent to marriage, effectively legalizing the practice.
According to verified reports from human rights organizations, the law sets no minimum age for marriage, allowing parents to marry off daughters without their explicit agreement. This has raised alarms among UN agencies and women's rights groups, who cite violations of international conventions on child rights.
The regulation also governs divorce and other family matters, but the child marriage clause has been the most criticized. The Taliban's Ministry of Justice has not commented on the specifics, but the law is now in effect across Taliban-controlled areas.
International observers, including the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA), have called for the law's repeal, emphasizing that it undermines decades of progress on women's rights. The Taliban's previous restrictions on girls' education and employment have already drawn global criticism.
