Afghanistan sees surge in child brides as desperate families sell daughters

In Afghanistan's Badghis province, 18-year-old Sima* recounts her life since the Taliban's return. Having finished sixth grade, she faced immense pressure from her father to marry her cousin. After enduring physical abuse, she was forced to agree. At 13, Sima became a bride within her family's compound, where she has since had four children, one of whom died of pneumonia at age one. She manages all household chores, from fetching water and tending to cows to baking naan, all while her young children cry for her attention.

Sima's story is not an isolated incident. A state hospital in northern Afghanistan reported 42 underage girls giving birth in the first five months of 2026. Six of these girls were pregnant for a second time, and five experienced ectopic pregnancies, a leading cause of maternal mortality. Eighteen required Cesarean sections, and two mothers died, though their babies survived. These young lives are casualties of a growing child marriage epidemic.

The crisis is fueled by the Taliban's policies, which have banned girls from secondary education and legalized child marriage. This, coupled with a severe humanitarian crisis, pushes families to sell their daughters to settle debts or buy food. The Guardian and Zan Times spoke with three other families who had sold daughters younger than nine to settle debts. The youngest was promised in marriage at just two months old, with all families intending to hand over the girls to their future husbands between the ages of seven and nine.

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After the Taliban entered the country, I had just finished sixth grade and was supposed to start seventh. However, two months later, my father put immense pressure on me to marry my cousin.

Child marriage, though not new to South Asia, has seen a resurgence in Afghanistan since the Taliban's takeover. Previously, the practice was declining across the region. "Since the new authorities took over the country, the number of underage mothers has increased dramatically," said Shabnam*, a midwife. "Previously, perhaps two underage mothers a month came to the hospital, mostly from illiterate families. Now, both literate and illiterate families are marrying off their daughters very young."

Globally, individuals under 18 are considered minors and are protected by the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child. The World Health Organization warns of serious health consequences for both mothers and babies when pregnancy occurs before age 20. Shabnam recalled a deeply disturbing case in 2024 involving a 13-year-old who suffered a miscarriage. The girl's mother's words still echo in Shabnam's mind, though the article cuts off before revealing them.

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Since the new authorities took over the country, the number of underage mothers has increased dramatically. Previously, perhaps two underage mothers a month came to the hospital, mostly from illiterate families. Now, both literate and illiterate families are marrying off their daughters very young.