A new podcast has launched in Iran to encourage women to share their domestic abuse experiences and challenge societal taboos to make their voices heard.

In each episode, a different woman joins the founder Maryam (whose name has been changed), to talk about their own experiences with abuse from men.

"People's reaction was like it was normal to see a man beating his wife," Maryam told the BBC about her husband's public attacks. "There's no law, there are no safe houses, and even the police can't do much. Some families also act like they're so modern and they say, 'Oh it's a private matter.'"

Maryam hopes that the podcast will allow survivors to speak freely and disrupt the culture of secrecy surrounding abuse.

On top of sharing personal stories, guests on the podcast also discuss the prevalence of abuse in Iranian society and examine the lack of institutional protection for women.

Read the full article about domestic abuse survivors by Sophie Partridge-Hicks at Global Citizen.