Victims of domestic violence are often unaware of resources available to them and are too afraid to ask. In Morocco, a new initiative aims to change that by helping women take legal action against their violent husbands.

Now 23, a mother of two and an education worker, Salma remembers her marriage as seven years of being bloodied and bruised. Her husband raped her repeatedly, she said. He beat her and threatened her with murder. Her face was constantly swollen from being struck, and she developed an addiction to the drugs that he forced her to take to keep her under control. In that state, she did not have the strength to divorce him.

“Domestic violence destroys the dignity of women,” Salma said.

Salma broke her silence, sharing her experiences on a radio station that works with Fais entendre ta voix(Make Your Voice Heard), one of several initiatives to empower women in Morocco.