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"He seemed really nice and our families got along well. Then things started to change and at a certain point I could no longer be myself. Everything I did was perceived as ‘wrong’ or ‘culturally unacceptable': the clothes I wore, my habits and even my childhood friendships. It was a difficult time and despite the fact that I didn’t love him, he insisted on moving on with the pre-arranged marriage. At a certain point I couldn’t take it anymore, I collected all my strength and said 'NO!'. That was the happiest day of my life."

(Baharka IDP Camp, Iraqi Kurdistan)
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"What do you want to be when you grow up?"
"A judge."
"What's going to be the hardest part about being a judge?"
"I don't know."

Father: "Imagine I commit a crime. Now you have to judge whether I go to jail or not. What will you decide?"
"I will let you go, because I don't want to put you in jail."
Father: "That's not what law is about."
"But you will be free!"

(Kani Otman, Iraqi Kurdistan)
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"What job would you have, if you could choose whatever you like?"
"Anything, as long as it is not the army."

(Sulaymaniyah, Iraqi Kurdistan)
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