As Taliban-ruled Afghanistan moves towards an economic crisis, a banned practice has again raised its head in many parts of the country and that is the practice – the marriage of young girls. Sell. In recent months, many displaced Afghan families struggling with poverty and hunger have been forced to marry off their very young daughters in exchange for money and a living.
CNN reports, one such heart-wrenching story is that of nine-year-old Parwana Malik, whose family sold her to a 55-year-old man, Korban, last month. Living in a camp for internally displaced people in the extremist-hit country’s Badghis province, Parwana’s family of eight barely managed jobs and foreign aid had stopped since the Taliban took over.
In an interview to CNN, Parwana’s father Abdul Malik revealed that he had sold his 12-year-old daughter just a few months back. Now, he is forced to sell another daughter “to keep the other family members alive”. It was a decision that left him brimming with guilt, shame and anxiety.
On Parwana’s behalf, she said that she wanted to study and become a teacher, but her family’s dire financial circumstances closed the door for her. When asked about her impending “marriage”, she fears that the “old man” will beat her up and force her to work in his house.
Two days later, the buyer Kurban reached the Malik family’s home, paid Parwana’s father 200,000 afghani (about $2,200) in sheep, land and cash, and took the girl away.
Abdul Malik said during parting of his daughter’s new owner, “This is your bride. Please take care of her… Please don’t kill her.” In response, Korban weeps and assures the father that he will take care of Parwana and treat her like a member of the family.
In neighboring Ghor province, 10-year-old Magul is troubled by the prospect of marrying a 70-year-old creditor who owes her family money. “I don’t want to leave my parents. If they let me go, I’ll kill myself,” Magul told CNN.
Like Parwana and Magul, the future of many Afghan girls is shrouded in uncertainty. With the Taliban banning women from secondary education and increasing poverty, more and more girls are being pushed into the marriage market.
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