Mary* was born out of wedlock and raised by her grandparents. Due to her perceived illegitimacy, she was physically, emotionally, and, later, sexually abused. At age 10, she was forced to undergo female genital mutilation (FGM). She objected to the practice and refused to participate in further rites and classes required for acceptance in her [...]
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For nearly six years and on a daily basis, Martine* was terribly abused by her husband. During their life in Mozambique, Martine’s husband repeatedly hit her in the face and choked her. During one of her pregnancies, he regularly knocked her to the floor and stomped on her stomach. Martine’s husband was then transferred to [...]
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Ida* is a 34 year-old woman from The Gambia. As an infant, Ida was subjected to female genital mutilation (FGM) and given away to work as a servant for her abusive aunt. As a child, she was regularly raped by her older cousin and another man. To avoid being discovered as a non-virgin, Ida was [...]
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I learned about the Tahirih Justice Center when I attended American University, Washington College of Law. Little did I know that a few years later I would find myself partnering with Tahirih to help protect “Hana” from violence.
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After nearly 30 years of marriage, Sarah* thought she was in a happy relationship. Sarah, who is from Kenya, met her husband in her late 20s. Even while facing the difficulty of being from different tribes, the two fell in love and decided to marry. Sarah always knew that her husband’s tribe practiced female genital [...]
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In 2002, Farida*, an Eritrean native, learned that her father had been arrested by government agents and had “disappeared” because of his involvement in a persecuted political group. Farida visited the local police station several times demanding that her father be returned, to no avail. A few days after her last visit to the police [...]
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Sahar* is a young woman from Iran with three children who separated from her husband after a long history of terrible physical abuse. After he refused to provide any support to his family, Sahar lost her home and was forced to move from shelter to shelter with her children. In desperation, one of Sahar’s children [...]
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I got involved with Tahirih as a “baby associate.” As soon as I started my first year, I requested a pro bono assignment, and I was referred to Tahirih. Representing Julia* in her asylum case was a perfect combination of service and learning opportunity for me. I speak Spanish, and taking this case allowed me [...]
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In October 2005, Tahirih presented Colleen Coyle at Akin Gump with an emergency case involving the victim of a crime—Annie*—who was in removal proceedings in Texas, even though the client had since moved to Virginia. Colleen sought assistance from Akin Gump’s San Antonio office and from her colleague, Sofia Luiña. Sofia had previously represented another [...]
Read more...Representing Mireya* was an honor. It was truly inspirational to work with someone who has endured the worst life has to offer and yet has one of the most positive and hopeful outlooks of any person I’ve ever known. There were many times when someone with less character and commitment might have given up, but [...]
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