How does marriage work in Afghanistan?
In Afghan weddings, the bride and groom are traditionally kept in separate rooms. The bride is represented in the Nikah by her father or a close male relative. The Nikah is negotiated before the mullah between the groom and bride’s representative. The groom is asked three times if he accepts the terms of the marriage.
How many wives can an Afghan have?
The Republic of Afghanistan, which is an Islamic Republic under Sharia Law, allows for polygyny. Afghan men may take up to four wives, as Islam allows for such. A man must treat all of his wives equally; however, it has been reported that these regulations are rarely followed.
What factors drive child marriage in Afghanistan?
Poverty and lack of education are among the main drivers of child marriage, a harmful practice that disproportionately impacts girls.
What is the purpose of Girls Not Brides?
Girls Not Brides is a global network of more than 1,500 civil society organisations from over 100 countries committed to ending child marriage and ensuring girls can reach their full potential. For more information on how we function as a partnership, see our How we work page.
Who pays for Afghan weddings?
Weddings are hugely expensive affairs in Afghanistan, with excessive costs for wedding halls, lavish meals and usually a bride price. The bride price is the money paid by the groom’s family for the bride to her family.
What must one do for a marriage to be considered legal and proper in Kabul?
Marriage Registration Foreigners who want to marry in Kabul must first register the marriage at the Family Court, located in the Kabul Governor’s House Compound. In the provinces, outside of Kabul, marriages can be registered at the civil courts.
Is it common to have multiple wives in Afghanistan?
What is dating like in Afghanistan?
Marriage is considered an essential component to life in Afghanistan and all relationships are presumed to lead to marriage. ‘Dating’ is almost totally limited to getting to know the person one will most likely marry and usually occurs in the company of others (such as family members).
At what age do girls get married in Afghanistan?
16
Child marriages are illegal but widespread in Afghanistan. Afghanistan’s minimum age of marriage for girls is 16 or 15 well below the internationally recommended standard of 18. These unions mainly happen in rural areas, especially along the borders with Pakistan.
Does Afghanistan have arranged marriages?
Most marriages in Afghanistan’s segregated society are arranged by parents and family elders between consenting adults. But traditions involving bride price, dowries, and using marriages to settle disputes results have turned many arranged marriages into forced unions.
How many girls are in child marriages?
children’s agency, UNICEF, estimates more than 650 million women alive today were married before the age of 18. In 2016, another 5.6 million girls under the age of 18 become child brides. At its core, child marriage is a violation of child protection and human rights.