One woman’s harrowing story of domestic violence and divorce in Afghanistan

A woman's lot: Many Afghan women in rural areas do not have an identification card, or tazkera. To obtain a tazkera, a woman needs consent from her husband or father, which can be problematic in cases of domestic abuse. Photo: AFP

The lower part of Setara’s face is covered by deep lacerations running in a crude web from her nose to where her lips used to be. When we met, her black chador was pulled back to allow a side-sweep of dark hair to cover a scar on her forehead; the bottom of her face was covered with a piece of black cloth. She still has more surgery to go, but her face will forever remain a mark of a youth spent largely in misery.

Unlike most others in her situation, however, Setara has a second chance. In about a month, her case will pass through the third and final legal stage, the supreme court in Kabul, finalising her divorce. Few will be able to follow her example. NGOs provide what little legal counselling there is, and their resources are limited. A long-delayed government plan to conduct a nationwide census and equip citizens with biometric identification cards remains elusive, despite the millions of aid dollars spent.