A 15-year-old girl has committed suicide, because she was allegedly forced to get engaged against her will, local sources in Sar-e Pol province say.
One of the teenager’s relatives has confirmed the death to Rukhshana Media, requesting that the girl’s identity not be revealed.
The suicide happened Tuesday in Deh Qarq village of Sar-e-Pol’s Kohistanat district.
The source said that the girl was forced by her family to be engaged to an old man.
“Her father engaged her to an old man for 700,000 afghanis (US$8000) and she committed suicide due to her sadness with this
forced relationship,” the source said.
The source did not say anything about the identity of older man.
The local administration of the Taliban has not yet commented on the issue.
Reports of forced marriages and domestic violence have increased since the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan, where girls and women have been imposed with onerous restrictions and fewer rights.
Anecdotally, suicide rates are growing among women and young girls.
A ban on education for girls over grade six and many other restrictions on women’s work and social mobility have contributed to more serious psychological and mental health pressures.
