Amu: The Taliban’s ban on education for girls above sixth grade and women in universities has forced many young women into marriages they neither wanted nor consented to, as families struggle with the restrictive environment. Ziba, a 21-year-old former university student, is one such victim. Forced into marriage after the Taliban shut down universities, she endured a year of physical and emotional abuse from her husband and his family. She now lives in hiding, separated from her husband, with little hope of justice. “I was a student who worked hard to get into university,” Ziba said, speaking under a pseudonym. “But when the universities closed, my family arranged my marriage to the son of a tribal elder in our province of Badghis. For over 11 months, I faced beatings and violence because my dreams and way of thinking didn’t align with my husband’s.” Click here to read more (external link).
