The video, which went viral, is a daring accusation in a conservative society where victims of abuse are often stigmatised. Several of the colonel’s co-workers confirmed that he had pressured the woman for sex when she approached him for a promotion. Yet, to most Afghan women, the experience of harassment is depressingly familiar: studies suggest that up to 90% of Afghan women have endured mistreatment everywhere from school and workplace to prisons and – rampantly – on the streets. “For Afghan women, it’s a double-edged sword,” said Noorjahan Akbar, a US-based activist. “A lot of people argue that sexual harassment is widespread in Afghanistan because men don’t have a way to release themselves sexually, but sexual harassment is a global problem,” she said.

Source: The Guardian November 02, 2017 18:40 UTC