Photo Op: Child Brides in Afghanistan
Ghulan Haider, 11, is to be married to Faiz Mohammed, 40. She had hoped to become a teacher but was forced to quit her classes when she became engaged.
Ghulan Haider, 11, is to be married to Faiz Mohammed, 40. She had hoped to become a teacher but was forced to quit her classes when she became engaged.
Roshan Qasem, 11, will joing the household of Said Mohammed, 55; his first wife; their three sons; and their daughter, who is the same age as Roshan.
Roshan Qasem, 11, will joing the household of Said Mohammed, 55; his first wife; their three sons; and their daughter, who is the same age as Roshan.
Majabin Mohammed, 13, at left, sits with her husband of six months, Mohammed Fazal, 45. Village elders advised him to accept Majabin as payment for a gambling debt.
Majabin Mohammed, 13, at left, sits with her husband of six months, Mohammed Fazal, 45, his first wife and their child. Village elders advised him to accept Majabin as payment for a gambling debt.
A photo essay featuring Afghan men and their young brides will appear in this Sunday's New York Times Magazine. Photographer Stephanie Sinclair, who captured the stunning images of the men with brides as young as 11 years old, talks with Alex Chadwick talks about the global issue of child brides.
Numbers are hard to verify, but one estimate by the Population Council, an international research group, is that about 1 in every 7 girls in the developing world (excluding China) gets married before her 15th birthday.
In Afghanistan, it is not uncommon for parents to give their daughters over to marriage to settle debts or resolve family or clan disputes. In hard times, it can save the girl from a life of poverty and hunger. But as Sinclair found in her travels through the countryside, the practice is also deeply entrenched in Afghan culture.
Comments
Discussions for this story are now closed. Please see the Community FAQ for more information.