{"id":126313,"date":"2026-05-21T19:36:14","date_gmt":"2026-05-21T14:36:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/nationaltimes.pk\/eng\/?p=126313"},"modified":"2026-05-21T19:36:18","modified_gmt":"2026-05-21T14:36:18","slug":"talibans-new-marriage-separation-decree-draws-un-criticism","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/nationaltimes.pk\/eng\/2026\/126313\/","title":{"rendered":"Taliban’s new marriage separation decree draws UN criticism"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Web desk(National Times)- The Afghan Taliban government\u2019s new decree governing the separation of spouses \u201creinforces systemic discrimination\u201d and erodes the rights of Afghan women and girls, the United Nations said on Thursday.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Published in mid-May, the 31-article code sets out various grounds for separation in Afghanistan, including a husband\u2019s prolonged disappearance, \u201cincompatibility\u201d between couples, renunciation of Islam and \u201cfailure on the part of the husband\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The decree, which appeared in the country\u2019s Official Gazette<\/em>, also states that marriage contracts drawn up by relatives \u201con behalf of a minor boy or girl\u201d can be annulled, which suggests child marriage is permitted in Afghanistan, according to the UN.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In most cases, the procedures for women seeking a separation are more complicated than those for men.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The document, approved by Supreme Leader Hibatullah Akhundzada, \u201cis part of a broader and deeply concerning trajectory in which the rights of Afghan women and girls are being eroded\u201d, said Georgette Gagnon, deputy special representative of the UN secretary-general.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It \u201cfurther entrenches systemic discrimination in law and practice\u201d, the UN statement said, adding that women and girls are denied \u201cautonomy, opportunities and access to justice\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Since returning<\/a> to power in 2021, the Taliban government has banned girls from continuing their education<\/a> beyond primary school, walking in parks and going to gyms, swimming pools or beauty salons.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

They are required to cover themselves<\/a> from head to toe and are barred from many jobs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Any breach of the rules can result in arrest and imprisonment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The UN\u2019s Afghanistan mission (UNAMA) said that following a decree issued in 2021 in which the Taliban authorities had \u201crecognised certain rights for women, including women\u2019s consent to marriage\u201d, subsequent legislation has ultimately eroded those protections.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Article 5 of the decree has drawn widespread criticism.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It sets out the procedures for the separation of minors whose family members enter into a marriage contract on their behalf, which \u201cimplies that child marriage is permitted\u201d, according to UNAMA.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIf any relative other than the father or grandfather concludes a marriage contract on behalf of a minor boy or a minor girl with a compatible spouse and for a customary dower, the contract shall be valid,\u201d the decree says, before outlining how the boy or girl can choose to annul at puberty if approved by a court.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

According to a traditional practice that has been in place in some families in Afghanistan for decades, parents promise that their child will marry a child from the other family.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, the marriage contract is only concluded later, as sexual relations before puberty are prohibited under Islamic law.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Taliban government\u2019s Ministry of Justice did not respond when asked by AFP<\/em> whether the minor should be required to live with their spouse at any age.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Marriage was only permitted from the age of 16 for girls under the law in force until the Taliban took back power.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The decree makes a distinction between girls\u2019 and boys\u2019 option to annul on reaching puberty, saying that if a \u201cvirgin girl\u201d had previously remained silent, the decree considers her choice to separate as \u201cinvalidated\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, \u201cthe choice upon obtaining puberty of a boy\u2026 is not invalidated by silence\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Government spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid dismissed criticism to the decree, telling the state-run RTA<\/em> television channel on Wednesday it was coming from people \u201chostile\u201d to Islam.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He defended fathers and grandfathers having authority over their children, including the power to enter into a marriage contract, provided they were \u201ckind and healthy\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, he said such cases would be rare because the Taliban \u201cprohibits marrying off a girl without her permission\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The procedures also set out how a woman may remarry if her husband has gone missing, but not in the event of war.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In such cases, \u201cthe wife shall wait for such a period until his death becomes certain and until the people of his generation (peers) have all passed away\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If the missing person were to reappear after the woman had remarried, it would be up to him to decide whether to \u201ckeep\u201d her, divorce or opt for mutual separation.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Web desk(National Times)- The Afghan Taliban government\u2019s new decree governing the separation of spouses \u201creinforces systemic discrimination\u201d and erodes the rights of Afghan women and girls, the United Nations said on Thursday. Published in mid-May, the 31-article code sets out various grounds for separation in Afghanistan, including a husband\u2019s prolonged disappearance, \u201cincompatibility\u201d between couples, renunciation […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":126314,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-126313","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-latest_news","entry"],"yoast_head":"\nTaliban's new marriage separation decree draws UN criticism - Nation<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/nationaltimes.pk\/eng\/2026\/126313\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Taliban's new marriage separation decree draws UN criticism - Nation\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Web desk(National Times)- The Afghan Taliban government\u2019s new decree governing the separation of spouses \u201creinforces systemic discrimination\u201d and erodes the rights of Afghan women and girls, the United Nations said on Thursday. 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