In a deeply concerning development in mid-May 2026, Taliban supreme leader Hibatullah Akhundzada approved a new 31-article family law decree in Afghanistan titled ‘Principles of Separation Between Spouses’. The regulation dictates that the silence of an unmarried woman or girl can be legally interpreted as consent to marriage, while granting paternal guardians full authority over child marriages.
Human rights organisations have fiercely condemned the decree, warning that it formalises and institutionalises deep-rooted gender oppression and the exploitation of impoverished young girls. The international community continues to watch with alarm as this latest development strips Afghan women of their fundamental autonomy under the guise of legal codification.
Institutionalising Forced and Child Marriage
According to documentation from Afghan outlet Amu TV, the newly ratified decree explicitly outlines procedures for dissolving marriages under various religious and legal conditions, covering sensitive areas such as child marriage, forced separation, and accusations of adultery.
Crucially, the law specifies that while a boy or a previously married woman must explicitly speak to consent, the silence of a “virgin girl” after puberty is automatically treated as agreement. Furthermore, the 31 articles reinforce patriarchal control by granting fathers and grandfathers absolute authority over the marriages of minors.
While the regulation notes that marriages involving female children may later be annulled after puberty, this can only occur with the explicit approval of a Taliban-controlled court, making legal recourse exceptionally difficult for victims.
A Pattern of Systemic Gender Oppression
This decree does not exist in a vacuum; rather, it codifies harmful traditional practices that have long plagued parts of Afghanistan. Human rights groups point out that severe poverty across the nation has frequently driven desperate families to arrange marriages for very young girls in exchange for money.
By legally sanctioning these transactions and reinforcing the absolute power of male guardians, the Taliban administration is effectively dismantling the remaining remnants of women’s legal protections. This latest move follows a continuous string of edicts aimed at erasing women from public life, including bans on secondary and higher education, restrictions on employment, and strict dress and travel mandates.
The Logical Indian’s Perspective
At The Logical Indian, we believe that a society can only truly progress when the rights, dignity, and agency of every individual regardless of gender are fiercely protected. The Taliban’s new decree is a heartbreaking regression that weaponises silence against vulnerable young girls and robs them of their voice, choice, and childhood.
True peace, harmony, and social change cannot coexist with systemic subjugation. Coexistence demands empathy and dialogue, not the enforced silence of half a nation’s population. We stand in unwavering solidarity with the women and girls of Afghanistan who continue to resist these oppressive mandates.
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