‘You Can’: A way out for abused wives in Upper Egypt

Raafat [front row, second from left], a survivor of an abusive marriage and a difficult divorce, gives talks to help women understand the forms of spousal abuse, how to address them and break free [Photo courtesy of You Can]

Engy Raafat, a Coptic Christian mother of three in Upper Egypt’s city of Assiut, says that when it comes to abusive marriages, she has experienced and survived it all. So after she finally broke free in 2016, she was determined to help other mistreated wives.

“I was slapped at any time; lived under threatening glares, even in front of my family, these were followed by physical assaults and reprimands,” the 39-year-old told Al Jazeera.