UNICEF called Sunday for urgent action to end child marriage in Afghanistan and renewed its appeal for the Taliban to allow adolescent girls to return to school beyond sixth grade, warning that early marriage is depriving girls of education, health and future opportunities.
In a statement marking the International Day of the Girl, UNICEF’s representative in Afghanistan, Tajudeen Oyewale, said 28.7% of women ages 20 to 24 were married before age 18, according to the Afghanistan Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey for 2022-23.
In some parts of Afghanistan, as many as half of girls were married before turning 18, the survey found, according to UNICEF.
“Every girl deserves a childhood,” Oyewale said. “She deserves to learn, to grow, to be safe, to develop her skills and to have the opportunity to shape her own future.”
UNICEF said child marriage can interrupt girls’ education, restrict future opportunities and increase their exposure to violence and social isolation. Early marriage can also increase risks associated with pregnancy and childbirth, the agency said, adding that pregnancy-related deaths are a leading cause of mortality among Afghan girls ages 15 to 19.
The agency said preventing child marriage in Afghanistan requires broader access to education, stronger protections for girls at risk of early marriage and greater support for families facing economic hardship.
UNICEF also renewed its call for Taliban authorities to reopen schools to girls beyond sixth grade, saying that while education alone cannot eliminate child marriage, keeping girls in school is among the most effective ways to protect their rights.
The Taliban have barred girls from attending secondary schools since returning to power in August 2021. Restrictions have subsequently extended to universities, leaving Afghanistan the only country where girls and women are prohibited from secondary and higher education.
UNICEF called on families, religious and community leaders, service providers and the international community to work together to prevent child marriage.
The agency said it would continue working with communities and local partners to provide adolescent girls, including young mothers, with access to education, health care, life skills and protection services.
Globally, about 68 million child marriages have been prevented over the past 25 years through measures including investments in girls’ education, legal reforms and social protection programs, UNICEF said.
“On this International Day of the Girl, let us renew our commitment to end child marriage,” Oyewale said, calling for continued advocacy for girls’ education and greater opportunities for Afghan girls.
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