Taliban Divorce Law Restricts Afghan Women’s Rights, Legitimizing Marriage of Girls Under 18
Updated
Updated · The Guardian · May 22
Taliban Divorce Law Restricts Afghan Women’s Rights, Legitimizing Marriage of Girls Under 18
10 articles · Updated · The Guardian · May 22
A Taliban divorce law approved last week appears to bar girls and young women from ending marriages without a husband’s consent, even when they later say they were forced into the union.
The decree also appears to deny divorce based solely on a husband’s absence or failure to provide support, deepening what activists and UNAMA called systemic discrimination against women and girls.
Child marriage has risen sharply since the Taliban banned girls from education after age 11; one informal estimate said 70% were pushed into early or forced marriage, and 66% of those unions involved girls under 18.
Kabul saw protests this week, while a Taliban spokesman dismissed critics as hostile to Islam; rights groups say the law formalizes patriarchal control and blocks access to justice.
Recent rights research linked child marriage to domestic violence and severe psychological distress, including the death this month of a 15-year-old girl in Daikundi after months of abuse.
As Afghanistan’s new law takes effect, what does a young girl's silence now legally mean?
Why is injuring a wife punished less severely than organizing an animal fight in Afghanistan?
With arrest warrants out for Taliban leaders, could an international court be the last hope for Afghan women?
Afghanistan 2026: Taliban’s New Law Formalizes Child Marriage, Restricts Divorce, and Deepens Crisis for Women and Girls
Overview
In May 2026, the Taliban government enacted the 'Principles of Separation Between Spouses,' including Decree No. 18, which formalizes child marriage and sets strict rules for marital dissolution. This law allows marriages involving minors if dowry conditions are met and only lets girls challenge such marriages after reaching puberty. The legislation has sparked immediate and widespread condemnation both inside Afghanistan and internationally, but the Taliban leadership has firmly rejected all criticism. These changes further erode the rights and autonomy of Afghan women and girls, deepening their vulnerability and limiting their ability to seek justice or protection.