Taliban ‘legitimising child marriage’ with new edict, activists warn
The Taliban has reportedly legitimized child marriage in Afghanistan through new legislation that restricts women's rights. Activists warn that this law makes it nearly impossible for girls and young women to seek divorce against their husbands' will. The UN has expressed concern that this development further erodes the rights of Afghan women and girls.
- ▪The new law makes divorce impossible if the husband disagrees, effectively institutionalizing child marriage.
- ▪Activists estimate that around 70% of girls are now in early or forced marriages since the Taliban's ban on education for girls over 11.
- ▪The UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan has condemned the legislation as a step towards systemic discrimination against women.
2 outlets in our directory ran this story, first to last over 5 hours. All of the coverage we found sits in one bucket: lean left. That one-sidedness is itself worth noticing.
- ▪ New Taliban Decree on Divorce Formalizes Child Marriage in Afghanistan, U.N. Warns — NYT > Top Stories
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| Original publisher | World news | The Guardian |
| Canonical URL | https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2026/may/22/taliban-legitimising-child-forced-early-marriage-law-women-rights |
| Publication time | Fri, 22 May 2026 05:00:50 GMT |
| Retrieval time | 2026-05-22T05:22:00.505Z |
| Last seen | 2026-05-22T07:57:21.795Z |
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Opening excerpt (first ~120 words) tap to expand
Women protesting against child marriage in Kabul in March. On the wall they have written: ‘We are the voice of the victims. No to child marriage.’ Photograph: Rukhshana MediaView image in fullscreenWomen protesting against child marriage in Kabul in March. On the wall they have written: ‘We are the voice of the victims. No to child marriage.’ Photograph: Rukhshana MediaRights and freedomChild marriageTaliban ‘legitimising child marriage’ with new edict, activists warnUp to 70% of girls may be in early or forced marriages but law now makes divorce impossible if husbands disagreeSupported byAbout this contentZahra JoyaFri 22 May 2026 01.00 EDTLast modified on Fri 22 May 2026 01.03 EDTSharePrefer the Guardian on GoogleChild marriage appears to have been legally recognised for the first time…
Excerpt limited to ~120 words for fair-use compliance. The full article is at World news | The Guardian.
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