In Afghanistan’s Helmand province, a 6-year-old girl was married to a 45-year-old man. According to a report by US-based Afghan outlet Amu.tv, Taliban officials themselves were shocked after the wedding pictures surfaced and stopped the girl from being taken to her in-laws’ house. However, Taliban officials also said that when she turns 9, she can be sent to her husband’s house. The groom arranged this relationship by paying money to the girl’s family. The wedding took place in Marja district of Helmand. After this, the police arrested the girl’s father and the groom, but no criminal case has been registered against anyone so far. Child marriage cases increased after the return of the Taliban After the Taliban returned to power in 2021, not only have the incidents of child marriage increased in the country, but social consensus is also being formed about them. Due to restrictions on girls’ education and work, many families are marrying off their daughters early, considering them a burden. According to a UN Women report, child marriages have increased by 25% and teenage pregnancies by 45% in the country due to Taliban’s anti-women laws. Social beliefs and bad practices behind child marriage In Afghan society, girls are often betrothed to a relative in their childhood under the naming tradition. It is seen as family property. In many areas, girls’ marriages are fixed by taking money in the form of ‘valvar’ i.e. dowry. This amount is decided on the basis of the girl’s beauty, health and level of education. In an interview to The Afghan Times, a woman named Amiri from Uruzgan said that she married her 14-year-old daughter to a 27-year-old man for 3 lakh Afghanis. The woman said that my daughter is very young, but there was nothing to eat at home, this was the only way left. Under a tradition called ‘Baad’ in Afghan society, girls are handed over to enemy families to resolve blood-shedding disputes. Once handed over, the girl becomes the honor (namoos) of her husband’s family. ICC issues arrest warrants against Taliban leaders The International Criminal Court (ICC) on July 8 issued arrest warrants against Taliban supreme leader Hibatullah Akhundzada and Afghanistan Chief Justice Abdul Hakim Haqqani. Both of them are accused of torturing Afghan women, girls and those who opposed the Taliban’s harsh gender policies. These warrants have been issued under crimes against humanity. The court says that there are sufficient grounds for “crimes against humanity” against them. This is the first time the ICC has taken such a legal step against the top leadership of the Taliban. The court said – From 15 August 2021, when the Taliban took power in Afghanistan, to 20 January 2025, many serious crimes were committed against women and girls. These include murder, imprisonment, rape, torture and forced disappearance. These atrocities were not only on the basis of gender, but also on those who held anti-Taliban views. ICC said – Women were deprived of education The court said that the Taliban specifically targeted girls and women. They were deprived of basic rights such as education, movement, privacy and religious expression. According to the warrant, people who supported these women and girls or opposed the policies of the Taliban were also punished. The ICC made it clear that ‘gender-based oppression’ is not only violence, but also systematic oppression done through government policies and social rules. It deprives women of equality. Although the arrest warrant has been kept sealed for the time being, so that the safety of victims and witnesses remains, but the court considered it necessary to make its information public, so that such crimes can be prevented in future. The court said that this action is part of the ICC’s objective to stop serious and systematic human rights violations against vulnerable sections. ICC does not have the power to arrest The ICC has issued this warrant, but it does not have the powers to arrest the suspects. It can exercise its authority only in those countries which have signed the agreement establishing this court. Afghan women banned from speaking loudly during prayers Taliban had issued a new order for women last year. According to this, women were banned from praying loudly. Taliban minister Mohammad Khalid Hanafi issued this order. He said that women will have to read the verses of the Quran in such a low voice that other women present near them cannot hear it. Hanafi said that women are not allowed to read Takbir or Azan, so they cannot sing songs or listen to music. According to the report, Hanafi said that women’s voice is ‘Aurah’, that is, something that needs to be hidden. Women’s voice should not be heard in public or even by other women. At present, this order is limited to reading the Quran only, but many experts have expressed apprehension that the Taliban can also ban women from speaking in public. Ban on nursing for women also Taliban has banned nursing training for women last year itself. According to news agency AFP, the decision of the Taliban government was announced in a meeting of health officials in Kabul in December 2024. According to an official of the Ministry of Health in Afghanistan, there was no official statement in this matter, but during the meeting itself they were told that women and girls can no longer study in these institutions. No reason was given for this. This decision of the Taliban has had a profound impact on Afghanistan. The country is already facing a shortage of medical and paramedical staff. Sharia law is in force in Afghanistan. The Taliban regime has not yet restored the civil laws made by the previous government. In these laws, the minimum age for marriage of girls was 16 years. Currently, the criteria for deciding marriage is according to Islamic Sharia. According to the Hanafi school, the girl is considered eligible for marriage by considering her an adult (i.e. after menstruation begins). After this, her age or physical characteristics do not matter. Child marriage is just a part of the Taliban’s anti-women agenda. Girls are prohibited from going to schools, universities, parks, gyms and public bathrooms. Women have been excluded from most jobs. They are not allowed to travel without a man and it is mandatory to cover the face in public places. Last year, a Taliban spokesman said that if a woman shows her face to men, she loses her ‘value’. Women banned from working in NGOs The Taliban government ordered all national and foreign NGOs in Afghanistan to stop employing women from December 2024. A letter issued by the Economy Ministry warned that if this order is not followed, the license of the concerned NGO will be revoked. The Taliban had also given such an order three years ago, claiming that women were not following the Islamic hijab properly. Now women are barred from doing any kind of work in non-governmental institutions. Recently Russia recognized the Taliban government Russia has officially recognized the power of the Taliban in Afghanistan. Russia has become the first country in the world to do so. The announcement was made after a meeting between Afghan Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaki and Russian Ambassador to Afghanistan Dmitry Zhirnov in Kabul on July 3. The Taliban government has described Russia’s move as a brave decision. Muttaki said in a video statement released after the meeting, “This courageous decision will set an example for others. Now the process of recognition has started, Russia has been at the forefront.” Taliban Foreign Ministry spokesman Zia Ahmed Takal also confirmed to AFP that Russia is the first country to officially recognize the Islamic Emirate.
