At what age are girls married in Afghanistan?

In Afghanistan, 57% of girls are married before they are 19. The most common ages for girls to get married are 15 and 16.

Is there child marriage in Afghanistan?

Child marriages are illegal but widespread in Afghanistan. Afghanistan's minimum age of marriage for girls is 16 or 15 well below the internationally recommended standard of 18.

What happens to child brides in Afghanistan?

Girls who marry before they turn 18 are less likely to remain in school and more likely to experience domestic violence, discrimination, abuse and poor mental health. They are also more vulnerable to complications in pregnancy and childbirth.

Do Afghans sell their daughters?

Arranging marriages with underage girls is a common practice in various regions of Afghanistan. The groom's family pays the money to close the deal, and the little girl usually stays with her parents until she is at least 15 years old.

What is the consent age in Afghanistan?

Age of Consent: Same as age of marriage (18 for males, 16 for females) All sexual acts outside of marriage are illegal.

Child Marriage Around the World: Afghanistan — Somaya

Can you have 2 wives in Afghanistan?

The Republic of Afghanistan, which is an Islamic Republic under Sharia Law, allows for polygyny. Afghan men may take up to four wives, as Islam allows for such. A man must treat all of his wives equally; however, it has been reported that these regulations are rarely followed.

Can Afghans marry their cousins?

The prevalence of cousin marriages is estimated to be 46.2% in Afghanistan. Regional differences exist in the rate, the Kabul province has a rate of 38.2% while Bamayan is higher at 51.2%.

What is the bride price in Afghanistan?

Not all communities in Nangarhar have a tradition of asking for a bride price. Kandahar and Helmand: 1,000,000 to 3,000,000 afghanis (14,590 to 43,468 US dollars) (see: here). Bride price is known as walwar in Pashto-speaking areas and toyana and sherbaha in Dari-speaking areas.

How old are child brides in Afghanistan?

What's the prevalence rate? 28% of Afghan girls are married before the age of 18 and 4% are married before their 15th birthday. 7% of Afghan boys are married before the age of 18. Afghanistan has the 20th highest absolute number of women married or in a union before the age of 18 in the world – 522,000.

What is the dating culture in Afghanistan?

Marriage and Dating. Marriage is considered an essential component to life in Afghanistan and all relationships are presumed to lead to marriage. 'Dating' is almost totally limited to getting to know the person one will most likely marry and usually occurs in the company of others (such as family members).

Are marriages in Afghanistan arranged?

Most marriages in Afghanistan's segregated society are arranged by parents and family elders between consenting adults. But traditions involving bride price, dowries, and using marriages to settle disputes results have turned many arranged marriages into forced unions.

Do Muslims marry their sisters?

Seven relations are prohibited because of consanguinity, i.e. kinship or relationship by blood, viz. mothers, daughters, sisters, paternal aunts, maternal aunts, and nieces (whether sister's or brother's daughters). In this case, no distinction is made between full and half relations, both being equally prohibited.

Do Afghans marry for love?

In Afghanistan, marriage rarely involves the notion of “love”. Rather, it is a matter of duty and responsibility. In most cases, the boy's parents are the ones who make the proposal to the girl's parents.

Is adultery legal in Afghanistan?

Article 427 of the Penal Code makes sexual intercourse outside the marriage (zina) or adultery punishable by long term imprisonment.

What age do Afghan men get married?

The Afghan Civil Law sets the minimum age for marriage at sixteen for girls and at eighteen for boys. A fifteen-year-old girl may however marry with their father's approval or with a positive ruling from the competent court. Marriage of girls under fifteen is not allowed under any circumstances.

Is divorce illegal in Afghanistan?

“Under the civil code, a man can divorce his wife at any time for any reason, simply by announcing that he has done so,” Barr said. “A woman, on the other hand, can divorce only if she can prove one of a number of justifications, and must go to court to do so.

Do Afghans use condoms?

The condom has found its way into conservative Afghanistan over the past six years. The number of users has risen sharply in urban areas, say officials. During Taliban rule, and indeed before that, the subject of condoms and sex was widely considered taboo and rarely discussed in public.

Do Afghan men drink?

The production and consumption of alcoholic beverages, especially wine, in Afghanistan has a long tradition – going back at least to the fourth century BC. Currently, the possession and consumption of alcohol is prohibited for Afghan nationals.

How many wives do Muslims marry?

Muslim supporters of polygamy often cite Quran verse 4:3, which instructs men to take as many wives as they can take care of, up to four, and they also point out that the Prophet Muhammad had multiple wives.

Who are Muslims not allowed to marry?

In general, the Quran tells Muslim men not to marry Non-Muslim women, and it tells Muslim women not to marry Non-Muslim men, but it makes an allowance for Muslim men to marry women of the People of the Book (usually Jews, Christians, and Sabians). No such allowances are made for women.

Why do Muslims circumcise?

For Muslims, male circumcision is performed for religious reasons, mainly to follow the sunnah (practice) of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ. Moreover, there are attempts to label it as a contributor to cleanliness / personal hygiene. These are done largely to grant the practice scientific legitimacy and a moral foundation.

What is considered rude in Afghan culture?

The thumbs-up gesture is considered rude and has the same connotation as raising one's middle finger for traditional Afghans. The “OK” sign with the hand can symbolize the evil eye or something more lewd. Stroking one's beard or pounding a fist into one's hand may signify revenge.

How do people in Afghanistan get married?

The couple must appear at the Family Court in Kabul with two witnesses and photo identification (preferably their passports). Witnesses should also have photo identification. If one of the individuals who wish to marry is Muslim, a religious Muslim ceremony will be performed at the time of registration.

What are girls not allowed to do in Afghanistan?

In November 2022, women were banned from gyms, public baths, public parks, and amusement parks. While Abdul Baqi Haqqani, the Minister for Higher Education until October 2022, was favourable for women to attend Universities, his successor Neda Mohammad Nadeem opposes University education for women.