In her late teens, Huda is beautiful and smart, a combination many parents hope to see in their children.

“Having a diploma,” said the young woman from northern Iraq, “is the same as having a weapon.” Huda was speaking at a radio programme, Shabab al-Nahrein.

Launched by the international news agency, Radio Free Europe, the programme takes on taboo topics in Iraqi society, particularly those among the country’s younger generation. Huda’s family stopped her from attending school when she was 13 years old. “What am I doing? Just cooking and cleaning the house. What am I contributing (to society)?” she asked.

One father interviewed on the programme said, “If my daughter goes to university, she will become very stubborn. Her husband won’t like this, and eventually he will divorce her.”