9-Year-Old Child Bride From Afghanistan Rescued After Her Dad Sold Her In Exchange For Cash

Bamiyan Shelter Cares For Battered Afghan Women

(Photo : Paula Bronstein/Getty Images)
OCTOBER 8: Bas Gul (L), 17, resides at a women's shelter and safe house October 7, 2010 in Bamiyan, Afghanistan. She was a child bride, forced to marry at age 11, and ran away after five years of marriage to the boy, who was only five years old at the time of the marriage. Until women's shelters were started, something that was unknown here before 2003, a woman in an abusive marriage usually had no one to go to for protection. The problems many battered and abused women are confronting are deeply ingrained in a culture that has mainly been governed by tribal law. Since the overthrow of the Taliban in 2001, a more concrete idea of women's rights has begun to take hold, promoted by the newly created Ministry of Women's Affairs and a small community of women's advocates.

A 9-year-old girl from Afghanistan sold to a much older man in exchange for $2,200 has just been rescued.

CNN previously wrote a story about Parwana Malik, who was forced to work as a child bride so that her entire family could pay off their debts.

In October, a video of the young girl circulated online and showed Malik being taken by a 55-year-old man with white hair. Qorban, also known as Malik's much older husband, was seen in the clip dragging her out of a makeshift camp where the young girl's entire family is staying.

Too Young to Wed rescues Parwana Malik from her much older husband

Following a series of backlashes from the media, the non-profit organization Too Young to Wed (TYTW) decided to rescue Malik from Qorban's home. The latter initially promised Malik's parents that he would take care of the 9-year-old.

However, Malik told her interviewers following her rescue that Qorban and his family woke her up very early in the morning and made her work. The young girl also said that Qorban and his family members beat her and cursed at her.

Stephanie Sinclair, the founder of TYTW, admitted that the rescue of Malik together with a handful of other girls is just a temporary solution. She also said that their goal is to prevent girls from being sold into marriages.

Taliban takeover makes families in Afghanistan poorer

Since the Taliban takeover in Afghanistan, more young girls have been banned from going to school. Female celebrities are no longer allowed to appear in television shows, and women also face a slew of restrictions when it comes to their jobs.

All these factors, among several others, contributed to the ongoing crisis in Afghanistan. So, Malik's dad, who claimed to regret his decision to sell his daughter, said that he didn't have any other choice.

Malik's much older husband is currently hiding following the criticisms he received from the public.

Parwana Malik is safe and well

A video of Malik on her way to a shelter with her siblings and mom was also shared online. It shows the young girl jumping on the bed and laughing with her sisters and brothers.

Malik said that she's grateful to TYTW for giving her family a place that they can also home even though it's only temporary. Malik won't also have to return to the makeshift camp where his dad is currently staying to pay off their debts.

Young girl's dad needs to pay off their debts

The young girl's dad is forced to work doubly hard to pay off the $2,200 that Qorban gave to him in October. After all, he already used the money to pay his other dues.

According to Meaww, child marriage is not unheard of in Afghanistan. However, the United States has strict policies against human trafficking. Offenders are often prosecuted for their deeds, and the countries they are from are also sanctioned.

Days after the original article was released, new reports surfaced claiming that Malik's sale to Qorban was staged, according to Rukhshana.

However, the young girl's dad just confirmed following his daughter's rescue that he was forced to say this so that Afghanistan and the Taliban wouldn't be criticized.