Over 100 rights groups and organizations in a statement called for “immediate, unconditional, and complete repeal” of a new Taliban regulation on marriage and family law, saying that it legitimizes child marriage and forced unions.
The declaration was issued in response to the “Regulation on Spousal Separation,” published in Taliban Official Gazette No. 1489, which the organizations said creates a legal framework that strips girls and women of fundamental rights and institutionalizes discrimination against children.
The groups argued that several provisions of the regulation formally recognize the marriage of minors and deny children the ability to challenge marriages arranged for them by male guardians. According to the declaration, Articles 2, 5, 7, 8 and 9 effectively remove legal agency from girls by allowing marriages arranged during childhood to remain binding after they reach adulthood.
Women’s Movement Towards Freedom, AWA, Rights and Advancement of Women and Humanity in Afghanistan, NEDA, Change Mission, Afghanistan’s Elite Women, Afghanistan Women Solidarity Movement, Freedom Movement of Women, Afghanistan’s Women Right of Freedom Movement, Empowerment for Her and others are among the signatures of the statement.
One provision cited by the organizations states that if a girl remains silent after reaching puberty, her silence may be interpreted as consent to marriage. The signatories said such a standard ignores the social pressure and coercion many girls face in Afghanistan and effectively legitimizes forced marriage.
“In a society where girls endure immense pressure, threats, and systemic shame, silence can never equate to consent,” the declaration said.
The organizations also criticized judicial provisions within the regulation that they said place the burden of proof on girls seeking to challenge forced marriages. Under the regulation, the declaration said, a husband’s denial could be accepted through an oath, making it extremely difficult for girls to contest such marriages in court.
Another section of the statement condemned Article 14 of the regulation, which concerns allegations involving sexual contact between a woman and members of her husband’s family. The organizations argued that the provision punishes women rather than perpetrators and reflects what they described as a degrading approach to women’s dignity and protection.
Beyond the regulation itself, the signatories linked the legislation to what they described as a worsening climate of violence against women since the Taliban returned to power in 2021. The declaration cited rising domestic violence, targeted killings and so-called honor killings, alongside reports of mutilated bodies of women being abandoned in public spaces.
The groups called for an immediate end to forced marriages and impunity for violence against women. They also urged the United Nations Human Rights Council, UNICEF, the UN special rapporteur on Afghanistan and other international bodies to take what they described as “immediate, practical, and deterrent actions” to protect Afghan women and children.
The Taliban have previously defended their policies on women and family law as consistent with their interpretation of Islamic law. Since returning to power in 2021, the Taliban have imposed sweeping restrictions on women’s education, employment, travel and participation in public life, drawing widespread international condemnation.
