RASC News Agency: Civil activists in Ghor province, situated in the remote western region of Afghanistan, have voiced grave concerns regarding the archaic tradition of marrying off underage girls in exchange for livestock, particularly cattle. Habibullah Mohammadi, a civil activist from the province, brought attention to the practice, revealing that girls ranging in age from 9 to 18 are regularly coerced into marriages where livestock, instead of monetary payments, are offered to the other party as part of the courtship process.
Abdul Rahim Hamidi, an expert in the affairs of western Afghanistan, underscored that the prevalence of both forced and underage marriages in Ghor province can be chiefly attributed to its rugged and isolated geographic features. Hamidi emphasized that these marriages have detrimental impacts, not only on the young couples themselves, but also on their families. In light of this, he implored families to exercise heightened vigilance, particularly in safeguarding the welfare of their daughters, as a preventive measure against such concerning customs.
Mohammad Nasser, a resident hailing from Ghor province, shared an incident from his community wherein his neighbor married off his own daughter to an elderly man in exchange for a substantial sum of money and cattle. Nasser further disclosed that in third-class provinces such as Ghor, families often demand exorbitant prices for their daughters when arranging marriages.
According to reports, the price of offering girls in marriage ranges from 500,000 to 1,700,000 Kabuli rupees, which is the current currency of Afghanistan. This narrative is corroborated by Safa, one of the girls who was forced into marriage in exchange for cattle. Safa expressed her profound discontentment with her present life and her fervent desire to extricate herself from her husband’s control, which she perceives to have been bought with the significant payment tendered to her family.
It is crucial to emphasize that such practices were once common during the Republican regime in Ghor province. The alarming phenomenon of marrying off underage girls for cattle has generated widespread apprehension among civil activists, experts, and concerned citizens alike. Consequently, concerted efforts must be undertaken to redress this pressing issue and safeguard the rights and well-being of young girls within the region.
