‘Silence of virgin can be treated as consent’: Taliban legalises child marriages with special rules

 The Taliban regime in Afghanistan has enacted a new family law regulation, “Principles of Separation Between Spouses,” which has drawn international criticism. A particularly controversial article interprets a virgin girl’s silence after puberty as consent to marriage. The decree also addresses child marriage, divorce, and other marital disputes, granting fathers and grandfathers significant authority. The Taliban regime in Afghanistan has enacted a new family law regulation, “Principles of Separation Between Spouses,” which has drawn international criticism. A particularly controversial article interprets a virgin girl’s silence after puberty as consent to marriage. The decree also addresses child marriage, divorce, and other marital disputes, granting fathers and grandfathers significant authority.