Afghans ‘marry off’ girls, ‘promise babies’ for dowries as starvation looms

Asia World
Asho, a young Afghan girl betrothed to a 23-year-old man her family owed money to, in October 2021. Child marriage has been practised in Afghanistan for centuries, but war and climate change-related poverty have driven many families to resort to striking deals earlier and earlier in the girls’ lives. Photo: AFP

Asho, a young Afghan girl betrothed to a 23-year-old man her family owed money to, in October 2021. Child marriage has been practised in Afghanistan for centuries, but war and climate change-related poverty have driven many families to resort to striking deals earlier and earlier in the girls’ lives. Photo: AFP