Geneva, June 19 (IANS) Taliban’s new decree to govern the conditions for separation of spouses will not only license child marriage but also prevent women and girls from leaving abusive relationships, the United Nations experts have warned.
“The decree on ‘separation of spouses’, issued by the de facto Ministry of Justice in April 2026, leaves women and girls vulnerable to abuse and exploitation,” the experts said. “It could also impact the Shia minority and other religious minorities.”
According to the report by the Office of the High Commissioner of the United Nations Human Rights, the decree appears to further validate child marriage, contradicting their previous decree from December 2021, which required consent by “an adult woman” for marriage.
The experts welcomed the earlier decree, noting that underage marriage has been a concern during the previous administration, but the latest decree seems to validate child marriage.
“The decree increases the potential for abuse of power by guardians, including in marriage arrangements, rendering it almost impossible for girls to report or act on domestic abuse,” the report quoted.
According to it, there are several provisions in the decree which will allow a child to seek separation upon reaching puberty, which indicates a failure to protect them from getting married in the first place.
“This leaves girls exposed to years of physical, psychological, sexual and economic harm before they can seek relief,” said the report.
“We are equally concerned that the decree renders it exceedingly difficult, if not impossible, for women and girls suffering abuse at the hands of their husbands or in-laws to report such abuse and to seek and obtain separation,” the experts said.
The experts also noted that Afghanistan is bound by treaties such as the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women, the Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment. and the Convention on the Rights of the Child.
“While marriage is a social, cultural and religious, as well as a legal matter, we remind the de facto authorities of their obligations under international human rights law which require them to protect women and children from violence and ensure their rights to dignity, equality, and safety. We call for the discriminatory provisions to be reversed,” they said.
