Conflict · Taliban marriage decreeTaliban Decree: Silence Now Counts as Consent for MarriageAired August 14, 2026 at 7:25 PM UTCWritten September 7, 2026 at 9:22 PM UTCRead the write-upThis storyTranscript · LOADING0:00Silence now counts as consent for0:01marriage for girls in Afghanistan under0:04the Taliban's most recent decree,0:05effectively legalizing child marriage0:07and removing the requirement for an0:09explicit yes. The change comes 5 years0:11after the Taliban returned to power,0:13extending a ratchet of restrictions that0:15has shown no let up. On the streets,0:17most women now cover their faces with a0:19niqab or COVID-style mask as required,0:22while women are banned from most0:23workplaces and universities and girls0:25are barred from public secondary0:26schools. About 10% of girls still0:29receive formal secondary education, but0:31only through private madrasas. The cost0:34was seen in Kabul during a 1,000 km road0:37trip at a discreet madrasa where0:39English-speaking girls ages 16 and 170:42said ambitions to become a lawyer or0:43doctor had been crushed with no pathway0:46back into public schooling or higher0:48education. The tightening is driven by0:50rule by decree from Amir Hibatullah0:52Akhundzada, the ultra-conservative0:53leader based in Kandahar who lives in0:55secure compounds, is rarely photographed0:57and has built a loyal armed force0:59enforcing bans against the reported1:00wishes of a majority within the Taliban1:02who cannot override him, deepening a1:04Kabul-Kandahar fracture.1:06The restrictions operate as a ratchet,1:08each step narrowing options for women1:10and girls, now extending into marriage1:12itself through silence as consent, while1:14the long-term sustainability of that1:16control is questioned because of1:17widespread dissatisfaction [music]1:19inside and outside the movement. What1:21remains unresolved is the full text,1:23issue and state an official translation1:25of the decree, its [music] precise legal1:27scope including any age thresholds, how1:29it will be enforced, what data exists on1:31child marriage prevalence since it was1:33issued, and the Taliban's official1:35response to the characterization that it1:36legalizes [music] child marriage,1:38leaving the precise human costs still to1:39be measured.1:41Like and follow for more stories that1:43matter.Explore with HeyDexThe shortThe short ↗