Domestic Abuse In Afghanistan

According to the UN, 87 percent of Afghan women are physically, verbally, or sexually abused in their marriages. This video describes women who, due to the abuse they face daily, as well as the alienation in their culture refusing to help them, resort to setting themselves on fire to commit suicide and end their suffering.



Women who are educated are proven to have more say in their marriage, more resources if the face abuse, and do not get married until later in life.
It is so crucial to educate women as the whole balance of life in Afghanistan relies on it.


Masiha Faiz, 36
Occupation: Defence Attorney for Medica Mondiale, a women's rights NGO

I work mostly on cases where women have been accused of moral crimes, like running away from home after being abused, or child custody cases where women have been abused and want to free their children from an abusive father.

Even though there are many of these cases, it is difficult for us to get access to the victims. The police and courts don't want us to defend these victims. They will hide the cases and try to send the women back without investigating. A woman's word isn't worth anything to them.

NGOs are the only people who defend most female victims, as the government-funded defence attorneys mainly service men. This has become accepted practice but it is a major problem.

Judges and police officials don't care about what happens to women and they don't follow the laws. The current system doesn't help women, it hurts them.
courtesy of Amnesty International