Afghanistan: New code enabling child marriage compounds dismal situation for women’s and girls’ rights

Country: Afghanistan Source: Amnesty International A new decree from the Taliban enabling child marriage is the latest salvo in an ongoing assault on the rights of women and girls in Afghanistan, Amnesty International said in a new legal analysis. The Decree No. 18 “Code on Judicial Separation of Spouses”, published by the Taliban in an official gazette on 14 May 2026, codifies the circumstances under which women and girls may seek separation from marriages. It includes provisions that uphold ma