At least 12,000 women are still abducted and forced into marriage every year in Kyrgyzstan. But pressure is growing to finally end the medieval custom<\/p>
Aisuluu was returning home after spending the afternoon with her aunt in the village of At-Bashy, not far from the Torugart crossing into China. \u201cIt was 5 o\u2019clock in the afternoon on Saturday. I had a paper bag full of samsa<\/em> [a dough dumpling stuffed with lamb, parsley and onion]. My aunt always prepared them on weekends,\u201d she said. <\/p> \u201cA car with four men inside comes in the opposite direction to mine. And all of a sudden it \u2026 turns around and, within a few seconds, comes up beside me. One of the guys in the back gets out, yanks me and pushes me inside the car. I drop all the samsa on the pavement. I scream, I squirm, I cry, but there is nothing I can do.\u201d<\/p> Related: <\/span>Take this woman to be your wife | Kyrgyzstan<\/a> <\/p> Continue reading...<\/a>\n