The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has expressed concern with the increasing number of marriages involving minors in Afghanistan, the Executive Director of the organization, Henrietta Fore said.
“I am deeply concerned by reports that child marriage in Afghanistan is on the rise … We have received credible reports of families offering daughters as young as 20 days old up for future marriage in return for a dowry,” she said.
UNICEF reports that early marriage, a widespread phenomenon in Afghanistan, can cause domestic violence and discrimination against women, and, as a result, psychological disorders. According to UN statistics, 28% of women aged 15-49 in Afghanistan marry before the age of 18.
