The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has announced that 28.7 percent of women aged 20 to 24 in Afghanistan were married before the age of 18.
The organisation reported on Sunday, October 11, that according to Afghanistan’s 2022 and 2023 Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey (MICS), in some parts of the country, one in every two girls was married before the age of 18.
UNICEF said child marriage threatens girls’ health, disrupts their education and limits their future opportunities.
According to the organisation, early marriage increases the risk of violence, social isolation and complications resulting from early pregnancy and childbirth.
UNICEF added that deaths caused by pregnancy-related complications are among the leading causes of death among girls aged 15 to 19 in Afghanistan.
The organisation stressed that ensuring girls continue their education is one of the most effective ways to protect their rights and prevent child marriage.
UNICEF has once again called on the Taliban to reopen schools to girls above the sixth grade.
The organisation has also called for cooperation among families, communities, religious and community leaders, and the international community to end child marriage.
