Dispatches

Save

1987

Documentary
News

Summary

Investigative and topical documentaries, covering issues ranging from politics, health and religion to international current affairs and the environment.

Episode 1: The Taliban's War On Women

Summary

The reality of women's lives under the Taliban's increasingly repressive rule, following Afghans in exile as they go on a mission to rescue victims who are desperate to escape. First-hand testimony speaks of torture and sexual violence, and a growing number see suicide as the only way out. Told by activists and ordinary women, in the face of risks to their freedom, these deeply personal stories of courage reveal the human cost of defying the Taliban

Review

David Butcher

We know how repressive Afghanistan has become for women under Taliban rule. It’s the only nation where girls and women are barred from all secondary and higher education, among other daily restrictions on their freedom. But what does the regime’s reign of fear look like in practice and how are women fighting back?

This Dispatches was filmed secretly in Afghanistan and offers a rare chance to observe the reality of life there. No preview was available, but hidden cameras follow Afghans in exile as they attempt to rescue female victims inside the country. It’s a story of courage, but be warned: the programme includes accounts of torture and sexual violence