The Controversy of Tradition: Putin’s Approval of Child Marriage

Russian President Vladimir Putin

Russian President Vladimir Putin caused international alarm recently by openly praising child marriage during a live broadcast. On December 19, Putin mentioned the North Caucasus, specifically Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov's family, as very good examples of early marriage customs. Putin framed his comments as a fix for Russia’s declining birth rates and women's struggles to balance careers with family life, which has started a strong argument about human rights and the safety of young girls.

The discussion started when a 23-year-old viewer asked for relationship advice. Putin suggested that the rest of the country should follow the customs of the Caucasus people, where parents marry off their children young, which he said is truly right. He said Kadyrov’s large family was a good example, noting that he had personally blessed Kadyrov’s children's marriages. This public support changes things a lot, bringing the Kremlin closer to the Chechen Republic's very conservative social structures.

Ramzan Kadyrov quickly celebrated Putin’s comments on his Telegram channel, calling them a great honor. He repeated his belief that strong, early marriages are needed for the state to grow and that they are a sacred duty for Chechen citizens. But, this positive view of tradition doesn't match reality. Reports say Kadyrov’s sons married around 17, and his middle son, Eli, supposedly available married a girl who was only 14. Russian law says the marriage age is 18, but local authorities can allow it at 16, and in Chechnya, religious rites have effectively lowered this to 14, bypassing official state registration.

Human rights organizations, like the NC SOS Crisis Group and Marem, have strongly criticized Putin's stance. They say these traditions often involve force. They mentioned Aishat Baimuradova, a Chechen runaway who was forced to marry a man she had only met three times before being murdered in Yerevan. Activists said that girls aged 16 or 17 are rarely ready for married life and that these marriages often cause domestic violence and instability.

Kadyrov’s past statements disagree with his current support for Putin. In 2014, Kadyrov banned imams from marrying school-aged children after a commission found that over half of these marriages ended in divorce. At that time, medical stats in Grozny showed high rates of infant deaths and birth issues among teenage mothers. Critics say that by changing his stance and getting Putin’s public approval, the leadership is choosing to pay attention to numbers instead of the basic rights and health of young women.

Putin's approval of early marriage shows an increasing gap between modern human rights standards and the Kremlin's push for traditional values. As the state tells citizens to prioritize having children over education and careers, human rights defenders warn that children will pay the price. They are being forced into adulthood too soon.