Childhood Traded for Sheep: Poverty and the Bitter Tradition of Child Marriage and Forced Marriages in Afghanistan

KABUL (Kokcha.News) — In some villages of Herat province, the tradition of child marriage has not only persisted but has been accepted as a means of survival for impoverished families. Families are marrying off their daughters at a young age in exchange for money or livestock, often to much older men. Local women’s accounts reveal that many men, in addition to their first wife, have multiple other wives, with young girls becoming direct victims of this economic and social pressure.

The closure of schools and universities has provided fertile ground for the spread of discriminatory customs and early marriages. Girls deprived of education are silenced, and marriage at a young age becomes their dark destiny.

Estimates show that a significant percentage of Afghan women marry before the age of 18. UNICEF reports that around 28% of women aged 15–49 married before turning 18, with cases of child selling recorded in provinces like Herat and Baghlan.

The food crisis and widespread poverty have forced families to resort to desperate measures in recent years. International organizations have reported cases where households have handed over children to secure food or cash.

In the villages of Injil district, Farishta (a pseudonym) has engaged her six-month-old daughter in exchange for 80 sheep and 100,000 Afghanis. She has also married off another daughter for 60 sheep and one lakh Afghanis.

Nasima shares her story of being engaged at the age of two and married off at nine, a fate that has befallen her six sisters as well.

Sara, due to poverty, has engaged her 13-year-old granddaughter to a much older man for 20 sheep.

In the “Green Town” of Herat, some displaced families, driven by hunger, are selling their children even before birth. A mother who sold her one-month-old child for 100,000 Afghanis says, “If I didn’t do this, my other children would die of hunger.”

Polygamy in some villages is seen as a sign of “social power.” Many women, either out of compulsion or the normalization of this culture, do not object to their husbands taking second wives. Experts warn that these practices, combined with poverty, deepen the cycle of exploitation of women and child marriages.

Early marriage exposes girls to domestic violence, depression, and psychological crises. Psychiatrists emphasize that marrying at a young age increases the likelihood of dropping out of school, anxiety, and even infanticide.

The Taliban’s policies, including the closure of girls’ schools and restrictions on women’s activities, have facilitated the spread of underage marriages and child selling. These restrictions have not only taken away educational opportunities but also forced poor families to make unwanted decisions for survival.

Structural Factors Driving Forced Marriages and Child Selling

Poverty and food insecurity: Reduced foreign aid and widespread unemployment have pushed families towards marrying off or selling their children.
Educational blockade for girls: The closure of girls’ schools has destroyed hope for the future, making marriage the only perceived way out.
Legal vacuum and weak support institutions: The lack of enforcement of laws against child marriage and the absence of support centers have left families and men unchecked.
Dominance of discriminatory traditions: Tribal views of girls as property legitimize child marriages.

Solutions and Expert Recommendations

Immediate livelihood support: Providing cash and food programs to poor families so that selling or marrying off children is not the only way out.
Reopening and access to education: Education is the strongest shield against early marriages.
Strengthening laws and oversight: Enforcing laws against underage marriage with penalties for violators and strengthening support centers.
Social and cultural awareness: Changing traditional attitudes through educational and religious campaigns.
Expanding shelters and psychological services: Establishing safe centers and providing psychological services for victims of violence and forced marriages.

Human and Social Consequences

Physical and mental health: Early marriage is associated with risks of maternal and child mortality, malnutrition, and psychological trauma.
Educational and economic: Girls dropping out of school perpetuates intergenerational poverty.
Social and legal: The lack of legal protection and support sustains the cycle of abuse.

Conclusion

Forced marriages and child selling are the result of poverty, educational blockade, and the dominance of discriminatory traditions. Until these factors are addressed and girls’ education and legal protection are restored, the future of Afghan children will remain under threat.

Poverty and the Taliban’s repressive policies have facilitated child selling and forced marriages. Only through livelihood support, reopening schools, and enforcing protective laws can the cycle of oppression and discrimination against Afghan girls be broken.