Taliban’s divorce law blocks girls from leaving child marriages

TL;DR The Taliban’s new divorce rule effectively traps girls in child marriages by requiring husband’s consent to end a union, activists say.

Protests in Kabul this week denounced the measure as systemic violence against women and children.

Context After barring girls from school after age 11, the Taliban have issued dozens of decrees limiting women’s rights. With no official statistics on forced or underage marriages, activists estimate that about 70% of girls denied education have been pushed into early marriage, and two‑thirds of those unions involve girls under 18. The lack of a legal ban on child marriage has allowed the practice to spread.

Key Facts The Taliban are attempting to make child marriage part of the formal legal system after issuing many anti‑women decrees, according to a spokesperson’s quote. An informal estimate says that about 70% of girls barred from education have been forced into early marriage, and two‑thirds of those marriages involve girls under 18. This week, women’s rights groups in Kabul protested the new divorce law, labeling it systemic violence against women and children.

What It Means The decree stipulates that a girl cannot obtain a divorce if her husband disagrees, removing grounds such as abandonment or failure to provide financial support. By tying divorce to male consent, the law reinforces patriarchal control and leaves little legal recourse for girls married against their will. Experts warn this could increase domestic violence and psychological distress among young brides. Observers will watch for how the law is applied in courts, whether international bodies issue further condemnations, and if any data on marriage and divorce rates emerge from Afghanistan.

What to watch next: enforcement of the divorce provision in local courts and any shifts in activist reporting on forced marriage trends.