Deeply distressing - article on rising number of girls in Afghanistan being sold into child marriage.

[ahjeez]

https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2026/jul/15/afghanistan-girls-sold-into-child-marriage

This is an extremely upsetting article.

If anyone knows of any organisations that help women and girls in Afghanistan, please do share.

This is the fault of the soft headed Democrats under Biden who believed the Taliban when they said they would run the country properly. The withdrawal was agreed by Biden. I hoped against hope that Trump would U turn on that but he didn't.

Heart breaking. These girls are so young.

There have been many threads starting on FWR about the terrible situation for women in Afghanistan.

I am adding to this one which I think is the latest thread, as I thought some might be interested in this.

Not specifically about women in Afghanistan but a BBC report on the situation is Afghanistan now, and the part played by the west in the recent past.

Some of the contributions reflect directly about the situation for women now.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m00301vz

Why blame the West? It's the men of Afghanistan who are at fault.

I suggest you listen to the programme, as well as re-read what I said.

Why leap in with a wrong conclusion that anyone is blaming the west.

It makes me question everything about the male species when I read this. How many men would actually prefer a system like this even over here.
The women are less than cattle.
Really upsetting read.

Why leap in with a wrong conclusion that anyone is blaming the west

Because the West is always blamed rather than Islam and the ingrained misogyny of these countries.

The withdrawal was signed and sealed by Trump, who was the one who apparently believed the Taliban (or else knew he'd be leaving a poisoned chalice for his successor). Biden had no choice about it, though he delayed as much as he could.

In February 2020, the first Trump administration and the Taliban signed the United States–Taliban deal in Doha, Qatar, which stipulated fighting restrictions for both the US and the Taliban, and in return for the Taliban's counter-terrorism commitments, provided for the withdrawal of all NATO forces from Afghanistan by 1 May 2021. At the start of the Biden administration the following year, there were 2,500 US soldiers remaining in Afghanistan; the other ten thousand plus had already been withdrawn by Trump. It is worth noting that Trump didn't think the government of the country worth including in his "deal" with the terrorist organisation opposing them.

Biden managed to hold off the full withdrawal until September, but Trump had already signed the agreement and started to get the American troops out of the country.

Biden agree with it, could have stopped it, and didn't.

www.factcheck.org/2021/08/timeline-of-u-s-withdrawal-from-afghanistan/

Afghan men are 18 times more likely than British men to commit crimes against women and girls. My dad was very surprised to hear this on Radio 4 one lunchtime, since they are normally very careful not to broadcast inflammatory stats like this.

This is why we don’t want these people in our country. Just awful
for their women and girls but I’m more focused on ensuring my own daughters understand some of the awful crimes we’ve seen here (Pakistani rape gangs) and are able to keep themselves safe, while understanding there are also plenty of good Pakistani men.

It’s heartbreaking. But the West can’t get involved. Any aid will just go to the Taliban. Women there have no power or control. Sadly the artificial propping up of the country’s economy for so long allowed the population to grow five fold and they now can’t support themselves so women and girls are bearing the brunt of that. Disposable, traded like animals. Zero rights.
Islam is a gift to men who want to control women.

Thanks for taking the time to post some reality.

Whether Afghanistan or any number of other countries, the very least anyone of us can hope for is lessons learnt.

And without holding any brief for Trump, had assumed from his campaign speeches would stay well clear of meddling in other countries.

Especially if as has been said, despite the protests, the sum total of US taking it into it's head to bomb Iran has lead to increased support for the Government there. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cewrx0ldlkko

Afghanistan should be treated like a pariah state. Boycott all sports with them and everything else. Create international scholarships for women. What is happening to women and girls in Afghanistan is the most horrific crime against humanity. It is a state based on gross misogyny and paedophilia, the worst type of apartheid and slavery.

Most British men wouldn't want this.

Can you really imagine Dave saying "Steve, you can forget about that £50 you owe me if you let me marry your 13 year old daughter. And your 5 year old will do nicely for my son when he's finished his GCSEs."

And then raping the daughters until they're pregnant over and over again, almost dying giving birth.

Really?

It's happened in every country, including this one. It has less to do with Islam than a combination of factors:
Poverty;
Undervaluation of girls/women;
Male appetite for young bodies.

A culturally accepted view of women and children as property of the male feeds an acceptance of this as a solution to money problems. But we're all aware that this view persists through most societies, regardless of religion.

Afghanistan's notorious for the sale of boys, as well. There are probably fewer men with money and an appetite for young male flesh but it is not rare.

Legislation, with enforcement, is really the only thing that stops men buying & selling people as their needs dictate. Continued enforcement likely does increase social revulsion for this trade - but it would pop back up again if men felt desperate enough. Doesn't matter which gods, if any, they pray to.

It’s horrific. Will listen to the link, thank you.

Just a reminder of how many thousands of very young girls being sold and raped Gladstone encountered on the streets of respectable Victorian London. That the last few US states to allow child marriage are only in very recent years outlawing it. What is not socially proscribed, legally prosecuted and fought against will be done to girls by men.

I have found sources I trust that say subscribing to the Afghan Times and donating to the Linda Norgrove Foundation are both trustworthy routes if you have money to spare that you want to direct towards Afghan women.

Trigger Warning; reference to horrible programme re child abuse.....

So; 'Not My Nigel' needs to be inserted here as my acknowledged preface... And of course; "Not All Men'...

I would never have imagined the number of men, including ' professional ' men that would turn up to rape a drugged and unconscious woman in her bed - (Madame Pelicot.) This, in a middle class suburban Western society.

I couldn't believe that someone like Bill Gates had drugged his wife to ensure she didn't catch his STD's; procured following his extensive sexual liaisons behind her back. How many more sordid examples of male depravity are there. There will be too many to list and many we won't even know about.

I am not able to quantify how many men are Nigel's and how many are not. How many men are Bill Gates level and how many Mr Pelicot, and then lower into child abuser territory.

But, as I get older, as I learn more, yes, I do believe British men, in their plenty could become accustomed to a certain way wherein this was normalised.

We won't know how many are truly thinking in ways I wouldn't even want to imagine. What I feel certain of- is that we absolutely underestimate it significantly.

How many women have no clue what's going through the minds of their husbands. I dread to think tbh.

I agree with the very insightful post from @GarlicAnywhere . I do try and separate religion from other possibly more relevant contributory factors. Poverty, education, cultural indoctrination/ norms do feed these things.

Certain ways of existing / traumatic lives are going to increase the chance you lose all empathy, develop a personality type that is more sociopathic and therefore devoid of empathy. Combine this with the opportunity, then many in places like Afghanistan could do this.

I believe it does fulfil the natural desires of many men to have very young, nubile women. I believe absolutely that the majority of men would prefer a return to 1950s way of marriage and this is simply another level beyond that.

Religious indoctrination in my view does play a part.

I am anti all religion and try to not dwell on this too much. Yet, I will say it - and call me Islamaphobic all you like; does the holy book not have a prophet marrying a 12 year old girl? Does that not massively thumbs up similar practices? I do not like the messages within this religion. Not peaceful, not in line with Western values and absolutely concerningly promoting child marriage.

I watched the Dancing Boys of Afghanistan and was absolutely horrified and traumatised after seeing it. The way one man laughed as he described one young boy being used over and over like a rag doll has scarred my mind forever.

I believe many many men, given the chance would behave like absolute dogs. I can't quantify it. I believe it would be the majority put it that way.

I believe many many men, given the chance would behave like absolute dogs. I can't quantify it. I believe it would be the majority put it that way.

Totally agree.

Even the growth of the popularity of some online influencers and the bonding together of incels show how then the line is that keeps women from being abused.

So many recent stories of "nice, middle class men" conspiring together to exploit women.

Not forgetting all the women trafficked into the UK. Why is that a profitable business for the traffickers.

I believe absolutely that the majority of men would prefer a return to 1950s way of marriage and this is simply another level beyond that

I don't believe the majority would.

I believe many many men, given the chance would behave like absolute dogs. I can't quantify it. I believe it would be the majority put it that way.

Again, I don't believe the majority would.

I do not like the messages within this religion. Not peaceful, not in line with Western values and absolutely concerningly promoting child marriage.

Which brings me back to my original point. Afghan men are the problem, not the West and not British men.

Yes that’s the truth. That’s why as a society we developed marriage / rule of law / Christianity / social approbation of sex outside marriage to rein in the worst instincts of men. We have merrily since the 60s been dismantling these constructs in the name of freedom before the awful realisation dawns…. The alternative is worse.

If you were going to watch some of your children starve to death, what would you do to prevent that?

I don’t think that any of this is ‘what anyone would do’ or anything like that, but marriage has historically been the way that girls and women get fed and housed, in return for sex and raising children. In every single country in the world at some time.

If you lived in a society where you have let’s say twelve children, and you have resources to feed maybe two, and you’re facing watching anything between eight and all of them slowly die off of starvation and disease over the winter, and someone comes to you and offers to buy your daughter for marriage so that she is at least fed, alive and housed with a social role, and you have money to get the whole family through another year and maybe even buy an animal that produces milk and manure to give you a fighting chance of a future, are you really going to tell me that you certainly would not? History says that most of us would.

If I were the man, I'd stop impregnating my poor wife after baby no. 2.

What fantasy world do you live in.

Do you read the papers or listen to the news.

Do you condescend to come down out of your ivory tower and for instance engage with the reality of male violence in the UK.

Why dont you for instance educate yourself about the work of rape crises centres and women's aid refuges.

Your bizarre "patriotic" nonsense is like some dreadful Victorian tub thumping colonial flag waving.

Why bother to be on a feminist thread primarily about the situation of women in the UK if you think women in the Uk have nothing to fear from British men?

Bewildering.

What fantasy world do you live in

And what sad, bitter world do you inhabit? Always insisting that men are the enemy. Don't you know any kind, loving men who are devoted to their wives, daughters, mothers or do you think it's just a facade and they all want to rape, dominate, abuse and degrade women and girls?

I have no need to educate myself (what a patronising thing to say) about the evil some men do the world over including the UK. I have a 21 year old daughter and I've had to raise her to be vigilant around men, even with her lovely boyfriend and male friends. It is terrifying if you let it consume you but I refuse to turn against half the human race.

Your bizarre "patriotic" nonsense is like some dreadful Victorian tub thumping colonial flag waving

I'm stating that our society does not permit men to legally treat women the way Aghan men do. Obviously some break the law but generally we don't have men selling their daughters, men wanting to buy young girls or boys, men insisting their wives are repeatedly pregnant, beating and raping them into submission. The difference between you and me is I don't think the majority of British want to do that. You insist they do.

Tell me, can you not be on FWR if you are GC but don't hate all men?

This