Age at first marriage

24 Figure 3.5: Male and female population, by marital status, and by age in percentages a. Male b. Female

3.4.2 Age at first marriage

The ALCS 2013-14 observes significant social change in terms of marriage patterns. This relates to both the age at first marriage for women and the age difference between husbands and wives. The minimum age at marriage is formally regulated by law. Afghan Civil Law, Article 40, stipulates this minimum age at 18 for boys and 16 for girls. Under special circumstances a marriage for girls at age 15 is allowed. To date, this law has not been fully enforced and marriages at younger age are still prevalent. UNICEF defines child marriage as any a formal marriage or informal union before age 18 for boys and girls and propagates that child marriages are harmful for the development of children. Evidence shows that girls who marry early often abandon formal education and become pregnant at young ages. Maternal deaths related to pregnancy and childbirth are an important component of mortality for girls aged 15 –19 worldwide, accounting for 70 thousand deaths each year UNICEF 2012. The infant mortality rate of children born to child mothers is 60 per cent higher than that of an infant born to a mother older than 19. Even if the child survives, he or she is more likely to suffer from low birth weight, under-nutrition and late physical and cognitive development. Child brides are at risk of violence, abuse and exploitation and child marriage often results in separation from family and friends and lack of freedom to participate in community activities, which can all have major consequences on girls’ mental and physical well-being. Analysis of ALCS 2013-14 data indicates that the age at first marriage for women is declining. Half of the women of the older age group 40-44 year old were married at exact age 16.6. For each successively younger age group this median age at first marriage increases steadily to age 17.0 for 30-34 year olds, 18.1 for 25- 29 year olds and 19.0 for 20-24 year olds. Figure 3.6 shows that women’s cohorts of age 30 and above had an almost similar pattern for age at first marriage. More than 23 percent of these women were already married at age 16, the minimum age for marriage. For the younger age group 25-29 this percentage decreased to 19 percent and among the youngest women for whom complete data were available aged 20-24 this share was only 12 percent. Similarly, more than 50 percent of women 30 an older were married at 18, which is the distinguishing age for child marriage. Among women aged 25-29 this was 44 percent and among those aged 20-24 only 34 percent. 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100 -4 5 -9 1 -1 4 1 5 -1 9 2 -2 4 2 5 -2 9 3 -3 4 3 5 -3 9 4 -4 4 4 5 -4 9 5 -5 4 5 5 -5 9 6 -6 4 6 5 -6 9 7 -7 4 7 5 + Married Widowed Divorced or separated Never married 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100 -4 5 -9 1 -1 4 1 5 -1 9 2 -2 4 2 5 -2 9 3 -3 4 3 5 -3 9 4 -4 4 4 5 -4 9 5 -5 4 5 5 -5 9 6 -6 4 6 5 -6 9 7 -7 4 7 5 + Married Widowed Divorced or separated Never married 25 Despite this declining trend, the situation that still almost half of the women marry before age 18 reflects their vulnerable position in Afghanistan. Figure 3.6: Females aged 15 to 49, by current age group, and by age at first marriage in percentages

3.4.3 The marriage age gap