Fatimah - Found guilty of “moral offences”

In Afghanistan girls are not as highly valued as boys and as a result, killing or hurting girls is more acceptable. Certain practices and customs highlight how girls and women are viewed as “property” in Afghanistan. If a family member is killed, the normal punishment for the murder is that a female child from the offender’s family is given to victim’s family by way of compensation. The girls are abused, tortured and humiliated. If the young girl runs away, she is arrested and incarcerated in an adult jail.

The most common form of suffering faced by young Afghan girls is forced marriage. Fatimah’s story is one example of young female suffering. Fatimah’s father is dead. Following his death, her mother was forced into an abusive relationship with her husband’s brother and she now works on the streets, sifting through garbage and selling dirty plastic bags.

Fatimah used to help her mother but then her uncle sold her for a dowry to an older man. At just thirteen years old, Fatimah refused to go. Her uncle arranged for her to be arrested in order to force her to obey. During the course of her arrest and detention she was raped by a police officer.

After her release she found out that she was pregnant. Having a child outside of marriage is illegal in Afghanistan. Consequently, Fatimah was arrested again. Her mother was unable to pay the bribes for her release. Fatimah was sentenced to three years in prison where she gave birth to Baby Romina.

War Child’s support means that baby Romina is brought to the kindergarten everyday where her health is monitored, she is bathed and she gets to enjoy the sound of other children laughing around her. At the same time, Fatimah receives training in child care so that when Romina comes back to her in the late afternoon she can care for her properly.

At the juvenile rehabilitation centre, built with War Child’s support, Fatimah learns to read and write, and also receives training in vocational skills, such as carpet weaving, which will help her to make a living when she is released. War Child’s family liaison service is currently working with Fatimah’s uncle to ensure that he does not arrange for her murder in order to “reclaim” his honour when she is released, and also to ensure that she is properly cared for and monitored.

Fatimah’s uncle and mother now visit her on a weekly basis and preparations have been made to receive her and Baby Romina into the family, as well as apprentice her to a women’s carpet weaving cooperative. Fatimah now talks with hope about being able to set up her own business and ensure that Romina is able to go to school one day.