The interviews with the victims and the organisations reveal nightmarish stories of women being locked in their houses, underage rape and forced marriages, to a degree that was difficult to imagine before hearing the witnesses' accounts and reading the reports. The stories also reveal a class divide that is replicated abroad, as well as a lack of proper assistance for victims in Europe.
The situation of Afghan women was thrust back into the spotlight after the US's hasty withdrawal last August. The return of the Taliban raised fears that the small social gains of the past 20 years would evaporate, a fear that was soon confirmed. However, it was the social and economic limitations imposed by a deeply patriarchal society, coupled with the allure of a better life abroad, that had already prompted many to flee the country before the situation deteriorated further.
Image: © Sara Perria
