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October 6, 2017: In the office of activist attorney Fatma Ben Arfa, Sanaa, a woman who has been a victim of domestic violence. “Women always care about their husbands; they don’t want to get divorced. A divorced woman has no chance of remarrying. Who would agree to marry a divorced woman with children?” asks attorney Fatma Ben Arfa. Behind the padded door of her office, Attorney Ben Arfa—who prides herself on “being tough on men”—is the confidante for the most heart-wrenching stories. “Women come to file complaints of assault and to request alimony [paid between married couples],” explains the attorney. Such is the case of a 27-year-old woman who married in 2016—believing, as she thought, out of love—after three romantic declarations and promises of a happy life from the man who would become her husband, only to be beaten so severely in the first months of her marriage that she lost her spleen. “ “As soon as she files for spousal support, the husband comes and asks for forgiveness,” explains the lawyer, “but the payment of spousal support—which is granted automatically—usually triggers a new outburst of violence. Yet as long as the couple is married, the woman is required to remain in the marital home.”

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