Marriage is considered an essential component to life in Afghanistan and all relationships are presumed to lead to marriage. Dating is almost totally limited to getting to know the person one will most likely marry and usually occurs in the company of others (such as family members).

What is family life like in Afghanistan?

The average family has eight children. One out of five children die before the age of five. Rural villages have large extended families that live in compounds behind high walls. Grandparents, uncles, aunts, and cousins may share the same house, which might only have three or four rooms.

At what age do girls marry in Afghanistan?

16 Afghanistans Civil Code sets the marriage age at 18 for males and 16 for girls. It says a father can agree to allow his daughter to marry at 15. There are no circumstances under Afghanistans national laws in which a child under 15 can be legally married.