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.

Dd was on a girls trip to Greece and groups of men from Albania were harassing the girls hideously. Dd said every single English lad they met was lovely and horrified and ensured they got back to their hotels etc. One
lad said “I just can’t believe you’re being treated like this”. Their mothers should be proud.

Scratch the surface, and there are an awful lot of men in the UK who would behave like this if it wasn't against the law and (now) seen as culturally unacceptable. Sex tourism to places like Thailand proves that. Also, the appalling sexualised verbal abuse aimed at girls and young women by men and boys.

Hugely insulting to women of Afghanistan to whine that cwe have the same problems with indigenous British men as they are suffering from men in their country! No comparison.

No-one is suggesting we do have the same problem. What people are pointing out is that given the opportunity, Western men are capable of appalling behaviour towards women and girls too.

I think the age thing is the point, a pubescent child yes perhaps, but the demand os for pre-pubescent children in Afghanistan. True paedophilia whether it’s boys or girls and it’s socially acceptable. A lot of rapes of children in the west are crimes of opportunity rather than the perpetrators being exclusively paedophiles. I absolutely believe we have loads of hebaphiles walking around though.

I still stand by the fact that I think most men would think trying to have sex with an 8yr old is revolting. I don’t think particularly highly of men as a group tbh but I don’t think we would suddenly become a society where you can marry a five yr old in the event of an apocalypse. And I do think part of it is purity culture stemming from religion, an obsession with virginity and purity as well as just a desire for children (otherwise we wouldn’t have bacha bazi).

Yeah but I just don’t think it would be the same as Afghanistan. It’s a hellhole.

Fifth anniversary of the Taliban return to power today. A few items on the radio news about it.

Some Western men, yes. The majority of British men, I don't think so.

I absolutely believe we have loads of hebaphiles walking around though

Sexually attracted to 11-14 year olds? Again, I don't think so.

I think you’re right, there was a news article on a web site that was shut down for men interested in drugging their wives and having other men rape them. It had over 60 million visitors.

I think a lot of men would do disgusting things if the guard rails were taken off. I’m not saying all men but a worrying proportion if they didn’t think they’d be caught condemned or punished for their actions.

Thank you for sharing.

Supporting Radfio Begum is a good start. It gives Afghan women and girls a voice. These are brave, powerful women - and anyone can support their fight against the Taliban. One of the most inspiring things I've ever read.

Also, as with Israel, write to MP's demanding the UK doesn't make any deals with regimes which harm women - and uses its leverage to deny them weapons to use against women. Don't forget women in Congo and Sudan either.

www.amnesty.org.uk/get-involved/join-the-movement/join-a-group-or-network/amnesty-feminists/blog/radio-afghan-women-afghan-women/

Radio Begum, apologies for typo.

Please support them rather than offer pity; they are strong, capable women trying to inspire and protect girls - and each other.

Rukhshana media are based in Canada and produces news focussed on women in Afghanistan

https://rukhshana.com/en/

There's another practice called "baaad" where a girl is given in marriage to atone for a misdemeanor of a man from that family

https://www.instagram.com/reel/Dbp0-BAss--/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link