Teenage girl shows gut-wrenching reality of trying to get divorced in Afghanistan

An 18-year-old was filmed seeking a divorce from her husband during a harrowing meeting with Governor Abdullah Sarhadi.

In the disturbing footage, the young woman visits the governor's office and accuses her husband of months of abuse and beatings.

The woman, who calmly requests a divorce, has her face completely obscured by a full-face veil and sunglasses.

“If there was any chance to live together, I wouldn’t be here... I have taken my decision,” she says, in footage shared by the BBC.

However, Afghanistan is under strict Sharia law enforced by the ruling Taliban, which took control of the country in August 2021.

While divorce is allowed in Afghanistan, the rules heavily favour men and make it extremely difficult for women to leave a marriage, Amnesty International explains.

In May, the de facto authorities in Afghanistan issued Decree No. 18, which sets out the conditions for separation from a spouse. UN Women said in a statement that the decree makes it more difficult for women to separate from their husbands.

“Women face more complex legal barriers compared to men, including needing multiple witness testimonies to support their request to separate,” the organisation explains.

The 18-year-old woman asked the governor for a divorce (BBC)

The decree, which UN Women says also raises 'concerns around child marriage and women’s consent', explains that in some cases a husband may 'override' his wife’s separation claim with a statement, or by refusing to give consent.

In the footage, the teenager remains determined to end her marriage, despite the governor trying to persuade her against getting a divorce. The BBC says he later comments that women are 'mindless' and 'deficient in intellect'.

In addition to restrictions around marriage and divorce, women’s lives have been upended by Taliban rule. They have been excluded from most workplaces, cannot attend university, and are not allowed to travel alone or visit parks or leisure centres.

Governor Sarhadi tells the woman to stay in the marriage, asking her to consider who would want to marry her after she leaves her husband.

“You’ll have to compromise a lot or you’ll lose your dignity and honour,” he says in the footage.

“Mr Governor, my honour and dignity have already been ruined,” she responds.

Women have been excluded from everyday life (OMER ABRAR/AFP via Getty Images)

A woman seeking a divorce may have to return some or all of the money given by her husband when they were married, the BBC explains. This means financial settlements often have to be agreed.

In the case of the teenager in the footage, she says her husband is demanding four times the original amount, which her family are refusing to pay.

The governor says officials will warn her husband not to beat her.

However, her family are not satisfied with the outcome and say they will pursue a divorce through the court system. This could prove challenging, as a husband’s consent is needed in the Taliban court system.

UN Women has found that more than 100 decrees targeting women and girls have been issued in the last five years, affecting all facets of life including education, movement, access to justice, employment and healthcare.

Data released by UN Women reveals that half of women leave home only once or twice a month because of the severe restrictions. It described the country as a ‘global outlier with no parallel in the modern world’.