The remarried Afghan women who are fugitives under Taliban rule

Afghanistan’s deeply conservative society made it difficult for women to secure a divorce even under the previous government – now things are significantly worse, writes Susannah George

Thousands of Afghan women who earlier secured divorces without a husband’s consent are now in danger under Taliban rule (AFP/Getty)

After her stepfather sold her into marriage at the age of 13 to support his drug habit, the young Afghan woman fought for years to escape an abusive husband. She eventually fled his home, secured a divorce and remarried, she recalled.

Now, under Taliban rule, she’s suddenly on the run again; this time at risk of imprisonment for adultery.