In some cases rapists can avoid prosecution by marrying their victims, often teenage girls. In Algeria, Morocco and Tunisia, laws fail to protect survivors of sexual violence. In Burkina Faso, women can be refused contraceptives at health clinics unless they are accompanied by their husbands. Hassiba Hadj Sahraoui, Amnesty’s Middle East and North Africa Deputy Director Imagine being married to your rapist, to be forced to see that person all the time – it would be devastating. And some fail to meet their obligations to provide the information and services that people have a right to. Some governments also allow other people in our lives to make choices for us – like doctors, faith leaders or our parents. Decisions that are our right – like whether or when to have children – have become a matter for governments to control.
