The United Nations says it is “gravely concerned” about a new decree issued by Afghanistan’s Taliban government on marriage separation that includes provisions related to child marriage. The UN statement says the legal code further entrenches discrimination against women and girls, citing the decree’s child-marriage element as a key concern. According to the reports, Afghanistan’s justice ministry has published the measure as Decree No 18, focused on “judicial separation of …” marriage.
Afghanistan’s Taliban government rejects the UN criticism. It says the decree is aligned with Islamic law and argues that Afghanistan has already banned the forced marriage of girls. The government’s response disputes the UN assessment that the new code intensifies discrimination. Overall, the issue centers on whether the decree’s child-marriage provisions conflict with protections for girls and women, with the UN urging concern and scrutiny while the Taliban government maintains that the measure follows religious law and existing bans.
