Nine-Year-Old Young Afghan Child Bride Sold By Her Father For Food Gets Rescued

Parwana Malik, an Afghan child bride, sold by her father for food and money to an old man has been rescued.

Under Taliban rule, Afghanistan has returned to its “dark days” according to the Afghan women that the SheThePeople team spoke to. The rights of women are at stake as they are not allowed to roam without a male escort nor can television channels showcase dramas and soap operas with women actors.

Despite the assurance of a difference in the way they will run the country, the Taliban is still following its old orthodox way which is setting back the empowerment of women and girls.

Additionally, as per the World Bank, Afghanistan’s economy is collapsing even more after the Taliban has taken control. The prices for basic household goods have increased substantially and government revenues through daily collections are sixty per cent of the 2020 average.

The UN chief has warned the Taliban that their country is facing a 'make-or-break moment'. Most of their citizens are earning merely £1.50 per day and hence, in order to survive they are succumbing to the route of illegal practices.

An increasing number of Afghani families have been following the illegal practice of selling their young girls under the age of fifteen.

'Day by day, the numbers are increasing of families selling their children... Lack of food, lack of work, the families feel they have to do this.",' said Mohammad Naiem Nazem, a human rights activist in Badghis. 

Such practises are being followed even after the Taliban had issued a decree that women are not "property", hence their consent is required in matters of marriage. Still, the Afghan child brides are forced into marriage despite the decree stating clearly that they shouldn't be forced into marriages.

“Both (women and men) should be equal,” said the decree, adding that “no one can force women to marry by coercion or pressure”

A human rights organisation – Too Young to Wed recently rescued a young Afghan child bride, Parwana Malik whose father had sold her to a 55-year-old man,

When Parwana’s father was in dire need of money for basic commodities like bread, wheat, and flour, he decided to sell her for £ 1,600 worth of land, sheep, and cash.  The father of this Afghan child bride made this decision without consulting her mother or brother.

The stranger, Qorban who bought the Afghan child bride guaranteed that he would treat her well as a member of his family. But Parwana said that “They treated me badly. They were cursing me. They were waking me up early and making me work"

Even after seeing how his child was treated, Parwana’s father said that he would sell his other daughter as well if matters got worse and his earnings do not suffice in providing the survival essentials to the house.

Currently, Parwana, her mother, and the other children are living in a safe house. Her mother said that she is feeling safe there. They would continue living in the safehouse throughout the winter under the protection of the organization Too Young To Wed.

Suggested Reading :

“Not A Property”: Taliban Decree States Women Shouldn’t Be Forced Into Marriage

Taliban Imposes Ban On Airing Of Shows With Women Actors

Taliban To “Allow” Afghan Girls Access To Secondary School Education: UNICEF Official

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