Taliban militants (file photo)

Afghanistan International: Men styling themselves God’s soldiers are using sexual violence on captive women to inflict punishment not just on individuals but to intimidate all Afghan women from any role in society. The accounts of women violated and raped by Taliban members while in custody shared by the survivors with Afghanistan International paint a grim picture of life under their rule. Their stories highlight how sexual violence has been systematically deployed as a weapon to humiliate and marginalise women in the theocratic, male-dominated country. Survivors who shared their experiences for this report played active roles in society whether as teachers, medical staff, students, civil society activists or models. All believe they were targeted for participating in public life. Click here to read more (external link).