Kabul: In a chilling reminder of Afghanistan’s worsening human rights crisis, a shocking case has emerged from the Marjah district, where a man reportedly paid the father of a seven-year-old girl a bride price to secure her as his wife.

The incident, which took place in late June 2025, was first reported by local media outlet Hasht-e Subh Daily. According to their investigation, the child’s worth was negotiated based on her appearance, family background, and perceived education level—part of the traditional Afghan practice known as walwar, where a bride price effectively commodifies girls.

The case sparked fierce backlash on Afghan social media and condemnation from local activists. Under pressure, authorities briefly detained both the groom and the child’s father. However, no criminal charges were filed, and the marriage remains valid under the Taliban’s legal system.

Instead of annulling the marriage, Taliban officials ruled that the groom cannot live with his child bride until she reaches the age of nine, an age accepted by some ultra-conservative interpretations of Islamic law as the minimum for consummation.

Since regaining control in 2021, the Taliban have scrapped civil codes that set the minimum marriage age at 16 for girls and 18 for boys, replacing them with their strict interpretation of Sharia. This legal vacuum has left millions of Afghan girls vulnerable to forced and child marriages.

The crisis is worsened by extreme poverty and limited education, especially in rural areas, where families view young daughters as financial burdens and marry them off for dowries. According to UNICEF, 57% of Afghan girls are married before the age of 19, and 21% before the age of 15—rates that are among the highest in the world.

With civil institutions collapsing and no enforced legal protection, critics warn that Afghanistan’s girls are now almost completely defenseless against these deeply rooted and harmful traditions, leaving their childhood, freedom, and safety hanging by a thread.