Afghan teenager begs for a divorce but Taliban official says women have ‘deficient intellect’

Money is often heavily involved in divorce proceedings in the country,and under Sharia law,a woman requesting a divorce might have to pay back the dowry given to her family.

The husband said he wanted four times the dowry amount,but her family refused.

In a bid to settle the matter,governor Sarhadi said the woman should have her own room.

He added that the man should not beat her or ‘otherwise he’d be jailed.’

The young woman’s family later told the broadcaster that they would try to seek a divorce through the Taliban courts,despite the requirement to have the husband’s consent.

Women's rights in Afghanistan

Women in Afghanistan face strict rules controlling their lives,with women blocked from many public places like gyms and parks.The Taliban has issued dozens of rules restricting women and girls,such as making it more difficult to leave a marriage and implicitly allowing child marriage.Girls have effectively been banned from attending school beyond sixth grade,and only an estimated 7% of Afghan women work,compared with 84% of men.Around one in two Afghan women leave their home no more than twice a month,according to United Nations Women.In 2023,almost 30% of Afghan girls aged under 18 were married,including 10% of girls under 15.Access to healthcare has also eroded under the Taliban rule,and the country now endures one of the world’s highest maternal deaths at birth.Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at .For more stories like this,check our news page.