Don’t look for me: How Chechen women escape Russia’s remote republic - 100 Women, BBC World Service

Seda, Lia and Aminat escaped from controlling families and the oppressive society of Chechnya, Russia’s remote republic.

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All they dreamt of was a free and an independent life, away from controlling families and the oppressive society led by Chechen strongman Ramzan Kadyrov. But their lives took different turns in their journey to freedom.

They are just three among many young Chechen women who dare to flee the Muslim-majority region, where women are traditionally expected to be obedient and serve their husbands or male relatives.

Recently women have been using social media platforms to seek help from activists or go public with their case to avoid being chased in secrecy by the authorities or their families. BBC 100 Women looks into what happens to Chechen women who risk it all to take on a journey to freedom.

00:00 Introduction
02:11 Where is Chechnya and who is in charge there?
03:38 Who and how helps women run away from Chechnya?
04:52 A young woman, trapped in the police station, surrounded by relatives
06:44 Why did Liya leave home?
08:14 A woman who dreamed of living in a big city
09:18 Seda’s cousin pressures her to come back home
10:48 Seda is being arrested
11:56 Last appearance of Seda
12:44 Where is Seda?
13:50 One of the first Chechen woman to go public with her escape
17:05 What the life after escape is like?
18:50 ‘The world is not hopeless’
19:20 Protest to remind the authorities Seda has been missing for a year already

The BBC 100 Women team produces documentaries and features that challenge the under-representation of women in media. If you want more women-centred stories, check out their specially curated playlist 👉🏽    • BBC 100 Women  

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