- I regretted it deeply from the first moment. At the same time , what choice did I have ?
When 7 -year-old Naghmas father Taj Mohammad could not repay a debt, the village council decided that he would give away his daughter. Extreme poverty and more than 30 years of war has made girls into commodity in Afghanistan.
Naghma was about to get a brother, but during delivery, Naghmas mother became seriously ill. She was taken to a hospital first in Kabul and then on to Pakistan. Because the family did not have the $ 2,500 as the operation did cost, they had to borrow money from a neighboring family. The loan became a heavy burden for the family and in the end the village council decided that Naghma would be given away to settle the debt. Child marriage is prohibited by the Afghan constitution, the age limit is 16 years. When the legal system does not work, among other things because of widespread corruption, the religious courts and village councils are used instead where completely different laws are applyed. Many times it is women and children who becomes the victims.
When 7 -year-old Naghmas father Taj Mohammad could not repay a debt, the village council decided that he would give away his daughter. Extreme poverty and more than 30 years of war has made girls into commodity in Afghanistan.
Naghma was about to get a brother, but during delivery, Naghmas mother became seriously ill. She was taken to a hospital first in Kabul and then on to Pakistan. Because the family did not have the $ 2,500 as the operation did cost, they had to borrow money from a neighboring family. The loan became a heavy burden for the family and in the end the village council decided that Naghma would be given away to settle the debt. Child marriage is prohibited by the Afghan constitution, the age limit is 16 years. When the legal system does not work, among other things because of widespread corruption, the religious courts and village councils are used instead where completely different laws are applyed. Many times it is women and children who becomes the victims.