Taliban release decree saying women must consent to marriage

Authored by reuters.com and submitted by Wolf123458
image for Taliban release decree saying women must consent to marriage

Women wearing burqas walk in a second-hand market where people sell their home appliances and other belongings, in Kabul, Afghanistan October 9, 2021. REUTERS/Jorge Silva

ISLAMABAD, Dec 3 (Reuters) - Afghanistan's Taliban government on Friday released a decree on women's rights which said women should not be considered "property" and must consent to marriage but failed to mention female access to education or work outside the home.

The Taliban has been under pressure from the international community, who have mostly frozen funds for Afghanistan, to commit to upholding women's rights since the hardline Islamist group took over the country on Aug. 15.

"A woman is not a property, but a noble and free human being; no one can give her to anyone in exchange for peace...or to end animosity," the Taliban decree, released by spokesman Zabihillah Muhajid, said.

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It set out the rules governing marriage and property for women, stating women should not be forced into marriage and widows should have share in their late husband's property.

Courts should take into account the rules when making decisions, and religious affairs and information ministries should promote these rights, the decree said.

However, it made no mention of women being able to work or access facilities outside the home or education, which have been major concerns from the international community.

During its previous rule from 1996 to 2001, the Taliban banned women from leaving the house without a male relative and full face and head covering and girls from receiving education.

The Taliban say they have changed and high schools for girls in some provinces have been allowed to open. But many women and rights advocates remain sceptical.

The international community, which has frozen billions in central bank funds and development spending, has made women's rights a key element of any future engagement with Afghanistan.

The country, which is also suffering from a banking liquidity crisis as the cash flow dries up due to sanctions, is facing the risk of economic collapse since the Taliban took over.

Reporting by Charlotte Greenfield; Editing by Angus MacSwan

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geven87 on December 3rd, 2021 at 16:29 UTC »

Proper title would be "decree saying both parties must receive consent from their partners to marry."

"must" means "have to". "women must consent" is read as "women have to consent" or "women are required to consent".

r/titlegore

devraj7 on December 3rd, 2021 at 14:06 UTC »

I was so confused by the phrasing of the title.

"Must consent" is completely ambiguous.

Are they saying women don't have a choice and if asked to marry, they have to accept?

Or that women should not marry against their consent?

It's the latter.

DomHuntman on December 3rd, 2021 at 13:01 UTC »

Badly written title.

Though I do not trust them, I suspect this is done to gain favour with other Muslim countries. All Schools of Islamic Jurisprudence (Fiqh) decreed this decades ago and though practice may not always be respected, EVERY Muslim country has it as a law.