00:00:47.659 --> 00:00:48.939
The Pamir Highway,

00:00:49.630 --> 00:00:51.950
the second highest road on Earth,

00:00:52.349 --> 00:00:54.750
stretching through the
heart of Central Asia.

00:00:59.740 --> 00:01:03.610
It's a world that couldn't have
felt further away from what we knew.

00:01:04.209 --> 00:01:05.209
It's so rocky.

00:01:06.239 --> 00:01:07.069
Do you ever think,

00:01:07.290 --> 00:01:10.370
I wonder if any people have ever
walked on these particular bits.

00:01:11.001 --> 00:01:14.638
Like, has man ever set foot
on that particular spot

00:01:14.639 --> 00:01:16.339
or that particular spot?

00:01:16.339 --> 00:01:17.190
I always think that.

00:01:32.779 --> 00:01:33.760
How are you feeling?

00:01:34.290 --> 00:01:34.610
OK.

00:01:34.809 --> 00:01:35.410
Are you nervous?

00:01:35.610 --> 00:01:37.760
I haven't really thought about it until
I'm just sitting here and I'm like,

00:01:37.769 --> 00:01:38.089
oh shit,

00:01:38.129 --> 00:01:39.360
I do actually need to,

00:01:39.889 --> 00:01:40.489
to drive.

00:01:43.220 --> 00:01:44.269
So I'm Cat.

00:01:44.540 --> 00:01:45.449
And I'm Hannah.

00:01:46.260 --> 00:01:48.448
And you might be wondering
what we're doing

00:01:48.449 --> 00:01:50.449
on the other side of
the world from home

00:01:50.650 --> 00:01:52.059
in a beaten-up Toyota.

00:01:53.419 --> 00:01:55.209
We met when we were 18

00:01:55.459 --> 00:01:57.489
and have been
best friends ever since,

00:01:57.779 --> 00:01:59.769
despite being
very different people.

00:02:01.819 --> 00:02:03.169
I'm not a very emotional person.

00:02:03.459 --> 00:02:04.129
I am.

00:02:06.069 --> 00:02:07.458
Oh god, oh god.

00:02:08.369 --> 00:02:09.270
Neutral-- no don't
turn it on in gear.

00:02:10.389 --> 00:02:12.229
I love leaving at this
time of the morning.

00:02:13.179 --> 00:02:14.039
Oh my god.

00:02:15.129 --> 00:02:16.318
Stop yawning.

00:02:16.319 --> 00:02:17.119
Sorry.

00:02:17.369 --> 00:02:18.960
Fresh out of university

00:02:19.250 --> 00:02:20.919
and eager for a challenge,

00:02:21.210 --> 00:02:23.080
we started planning a road trip.

00:02:23.610 --> 00:02:26.600
We discovered Central Asia's M41,

00:02:26.889 --> 00:02:29.679
a highway stretching
across Kyrgyzstan,

00:02:29.809 --> 00:02:32.039
Uzbekistan and Tajikistan.

00:02:32.289 --> 00:02:33.669
The more we researched,

00:02:33.970 --> 00:02:36.770
the more we found ourselves
wondering what life was like

00:02:36.770 --> 00:02:39.520
for women our age
in these countries.

00:02:40.410 --> 00:02:42.199
We set up an Instagram page

00:02:42.449 --> 00:02:45.619
and started reaching out to
as many women as we could.

00:02:46.520 --> 00:02:48.460
The response was overwhelming.

00:02:49.500 --> 00:02:52.149
This would be a road trip
with a twist.

00:02:52.660 --> 00:02:55.490
With women both behind the
wheel and behind the camera,

00:02:55.740 --> 00:02:59.009
we'd be using our journey to meet
other women along our route.

00:03:02.330 --> 00:03:03.809
So this is our story,

00:03:04.130 --> 00:03:05.520
and this is their story.

00:03:07.229 --> 00:03:10.999
And it's the story of women
from opposite sides of the globe

00:03:11.001 --> 00:03:13.429
who might have more in
common than they thought.

00:03:30.910 --> 00:03:33.309
I'm so confused about
what I'm doing.

00:03:33.800 --> 00:03:34.800
You need to go--

00:03:34.801 --> 00:03:35.801
I'm in the wrong way.

00:03:35.801 --> 00:03:36.801
Need to go right.

00:03:36.802 --> 00:03:37.802
Left, left, left!

00:03:37.804 --> 00:03:38.804
I can't.

00:03:38.807 --> 00:03:39.400
Yes, you can.

00:03:39.400 --> 00:03:40.200
OK.

00:03:40.729 --> 00:03:41.619
Don't know what I'm doing.

00:03:41.699 --> 00:03:42.649
This is so bad.

00:03:43.750 --> 00:03:44.199
OK.

00:03:46.110 --> 00:03:47.589
Do you see they were
all, like, in my lane?

00:03:47.750 --> 00:03:48.029
Yeah.

00:03:50.039 --> 00:03:51.100
I feel like we've talked about

00:03:51.101 --> 00:03:53.639
setting off on this
road for so long,

00:03:53.639 --> 00:03:54.940
and now we actually are.

00:03:55.520 --> 00:03:56.977
It's the most bland
bit of road ever.

00:03:56.979 --> 00:03:59.929
And it's possibly the most
boring junction I've ever seen.

00:04:01.529 --> 00:04:01.970
Here we go.

00:04:02.130 --> 00:04:03.250
This is it!

00:04:04.339 --> 00:04:05.210
Start.

00:04:05.979 --> 00:04:06.330
Right.

00:04:11.740 --> 00:04:13.889
I'm probably about to
get lost immediately,

00:04:14.910 --> 00:04:16.480
half a kilometre
away from the start.

00:04:17.480 --> 00:04:21.108
Having picked up the car in
the Kyrgyz capital Bishkek,

00:04:21.320 --> 00:04:24.750
we'd be following a 3000
kilometre circular route.

00:04:25.200 --> 00:04:26.799
First stop was Osh.

00:04:30.440 --> 00:04:31.230
Oh God, can't we just--

00:04:31.309 --> 00:04:32.940
I don't know, I've suddenly
forgotten how to drive.

00:04:33.130 --> 00:04:33.540
OK.

00:04:36.899 --> 00:04:37.320
OK.

00:04:38.829 --> 00:04:39.709
Now go to 2nd.

00:04:40.809 --> 00:04:41.140
Yep.

00:04:49.399 --> 00:04:50.660
Oh, I'm doing it.

00:05:18.380 --> 00:05:20.329
Is this Osh that we
just saw the

00:05:22.019 --> 00:05:23.029
outline of?

00:05:25.049 --> 00:05:26.049
It is Osh.

00:05:32.559 --> 00:05:35.239
Osh is the second largest
city in Kyrgyzstan.

00:05:35.839 --> 00:05:37.739
It's over 3000 years old,

00:05:38.029 --> 00:05:39.350
predating the Silk Road.

00:05:40.730 --> 00:05:42.830
We were told it would
be one of the more

00:05:42.831 --> 00:05:44.201
traditional cities
that we'd visit.

00:05:47.739 --> 00:05:49.589
We'd arranged to
meet up with Asel,

00:05:50.140 --> 00:05:53.489
a student in the city who was
keen to show us around.

00:05:54.220 --> 00:05:56.100
So what do people wear here
when it gets very hot,

00:05:56.179 --> 00:05:58.769
because I've noticed people do
tend to like cover up a bit more.

00:05:58.980 --> 00:06:00.049
But not everybody.

00:06:00.320 --> 00:06:01.019
Not everybody.

00:06:01.459 --> 00:06:04.459
But, like, here,
women are more, like,

00:06:05.160 --> 00:06:06.989
they really look how you dress up,

00:06:07.119 --> 00:06:08.550
for example, like,

00:06:08.551 --> 00:06:11.200
me wearing this,
like, short thing.

00:06:11.279 --> 00:06:13.799
But I don't care,
because it's so hot.

00:06:13.801 --> 00:06:16.239
But, like, everyone
looks at me and, like,

00:06:16.239 --> 00:06:18.339
and my mom is really
worried all the time

00:06:18.340 --> 00:06:19.720
that I'm wearing the short stuff.

00:06:21.679 --> 00:06:23.850
Asel had heard about
an Islamic school,

00:06:23.851 --> 00:06:27.001
or madrasa, on the
outskirts of the city,

00:06:27.920 --> 00:06:30.239
except this one
was just for women.

00:06:34.309 --> 00:06:36.339
Can you explain
what you learn here?

00:06:51.001 --> 00:06:52.999
How does what they learn now

00:06:53.001 --> 00:06:54.500
change depending on their age?

00:07:28.315 --> 00:07:31.265
And how do you think
society is changing

00:07:32.829 --> 00:07:33.629
with respect to Islam?

00:08:04.709 --> 00:08:07.720
(girls singing)

00:08:11.470 --> 00:08:12.230
What did you think?

00:08:14.220 --> 00:08:16.609
It was quite passionate and was also

00:08:16.610 --> 00:08:19.980
adapting to today life
was more about, like,

00:08:19.980 --> 00:08:23.209
learning something different from
what's happening right now,

00:08:23.700 --> 00:08:24.929
you know, because you're evolving,

00:08:25.019 --> 00:08:25.929
you're changing.

00:08:26.459 --> 00:08:28.410
And I really liked that she said

00:08:28.739 --> 00:08:30.501
that the religion is
also changing, you know,

00:08:30.579 --> 00:08:33.058
and it's adapting to
what people need.

00:08:34.650 --> 00:08:36.969
(girls singing)

00:08:42.789 --> 00:08:43.789
Bye!

00:08:46.880 --> 00:08:47.909
I don't know where to walk.

00:08:47.950 --> 00:08:49.239
I don't know where we are.

00:08:50.869 --> 00:08:51.390
Maybe...

00:08:54.559 --> 00:08:56.239
I have no idea!

00:08:59.380 --> 00:09:01.570
Once Asel had got
her bearings again,

00:09:02.099 --> 00:09:05.880
she sent us off in the direction
of a local feminist organisation

00:09:06.219 --> 00:09:08.130
that we'd found on social media.

00:09:09.001 --> 00:09:10.001
Hi, nice to meet you.

00:09:10.501 --> 00:09:11.501
I'm Catherine.

00:09:12.810 --> 00:09:13.999
Nice to meet you.
Catherine.

00:09:14.251 --> 00:09:14.911
Hi, I'm Hannah.

00:09:14.919 --> 00:09:16.729
Nice to meet you, too.

00:09:16.969 --> 00:09:17.570
I love these,

00:09:17.650 --> 00:09:18.840
I think these are
absolutely fantastic.

00:09:18.929 --> 00:09:19.979
They're so simple.

00:09:33.169 --> 00:09:34.710
And why is it so important

00:09:34.890 --> 00:09:36.929
to change the mindsets
of young people?

00:09:37.250 --> 00:09:38.900
From my own perspective,

00:10:15.080 --> 00:10:15.940
What's this then?

00:10:22.340 --> 00:10:23.380
How is sex seen?

00:10:23.419 --> 00:10:25.999
Like, does anyone talk about
sex being pleasurable?

00:10:55.399 --> 00:10:56.399
I agree.

00:10:59.500 --> 00:11:02.879
Asel had helped us see two
completely different sides

00:11:02.880 --> 00:11:04.500
to womanhood in Osh,

00:11:04.500 --> 00:11:07.349
and she'd really set the scene
for the diversity of women

00:11:07.580 --> 00:11:09.460
we were about to
meet across our trip.

00:11:10.760 --> 00:11:14.890
We'd see a contrast between strong
female empowerment movements,

00:11:15.219 --> 00:11:18.289
yet persistent issues
like domestic abuse,

00:11:18.619 --> 00:11:20.809
and, in some Kyrgyz societies,

00:11:21.020 --> 00:11:24.020
a cultural practise called
bride kidnapping.

00:11:33.150 --> 00:11:33.869
Can I go?

00:11:33.979 --> 00:11:35.309
I think the answer is no.

00:11:43.099 --> 00:11:44.780
This guy's looking
so confused at me.

00:11:50.590 --> 00:11:51.940
Oh, I can be going.

00:12:06.359 --> 00:12:09.999
We approached our first
border crossing into Uzbekistan

00:12:09.999 --> 00:12:12.190
with nerves a little on edge,

00:12:12.479 --> 00:12:14.710
unsure what to expect from security.

00:12:22.380 --> 00:12:23.739
OK, I'm gonna put
the camera off now.

00:12:23.880 --> 00:12:24.940
Yeah, put it off.

00:12:32.929 --> 00:12:35.049
I never really felt, like,
intimidated or threatened

00:12:35.080 --> 00:12:35.909
but I was just, like--

00:12:37.469 --> 00:12:40.190
I was just annoyed when he went
through everything on my laptop.

00:12:40.919 --> 00:12:42.950
What was he most curious
about on your laptop?

00:12:43.159 --> 00:12:43.919
I don't know about my laptop,

00:12:43.960 --> 00:12:45.150
but he got my tampons out.

00:12:45.880 --> 00:12:46.799
How did that even happen?

00:12:47.830 --> 00:12:48.409
What, the tampon thing?

00:12:48.559 --> 00:12:49.170
Yeah.

00:12:49.270 --> 00:12:50.909
'Cause he asked to go
through my washbag,

00:12:51.119 --> 00:12:53.939
and then my tampons were in
the one non see-through bit,

00:12:53.939 --> 00:12:54.909
and he asked to open that.

00:12:55.080 --> 00:12:57.201
And then I open it and then he
literally starts getting them out

00:12:57.201 --> 00:12:58.659
and, like, holding them up
to me and I was like,

00:12:58.669 --> 00:13:00.989
it's not a cotton missile.

00:13:05.289 --> 00:13:08.479
With the border under our
belts we headed on,

00:13:08.809 --> 00:13:11.280
through Uzbekistan's
capital, Tashkent,

00:13:11.690 --> 00:13:14.200
to the ancient city of Samarkand.

00:13:15.090 --> 00:13:18.960
These Central Asian countries have
been through turbulent times.

00:13:19.690 --> 00:13:22.179
Once connected via the Silk Road,

00:13:22.489 --> 00:13:25.799
a historic trade network
that linked east and west,

00:13:26.210 --> 00:13:28.969
the region became a
melting pot of cultures

00:13:29.210 --> 00:13:31.179
and later a battleground

00:13:31.530 --> 00:13:33.690
between British and Russian forces.

00:13:35.000 --> 00:13:38.719
After coming under Russian
occupation in 1917,

00:13:39.239 --> 00:13:42.080
Soviet rule was imposed
across Central Asia.

00:13:43.169 --> 00:13:46.340
When the Soviet empire
collapsed in 1991,

00:13:46.770 --> 00:13:49.489
Tajikistan, Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan

00:13:49.929 --> 00:13:51.559
declared their independence.

00:13:51.849 --> 00:13:53.440
Central Asia is a very unique space.

00:13:53.530 --> 00:13:58.090
We are the place where you would
have a very interesting combination

00:13:58.090 --> 00:14:00.330
of the quite strong Soviet tradition
of women empowerment,

00:14:00.330 --> 00:14:03.359
where the government had quota for
women in leadership positions,

00:14:03.729 --> 00:14:06.419
where all girls were
meant to go to school,

00:14:06.450 --> 00:14:10.099
we had mandatory education,
and then also a lot of them went

00:14:10.100 --> 00:14:12.250
to study in higher
education institutions.

00:14:12.729 --> 00:14:15.839
But then you have '90s
and early 2000s,

00:14:15.839 --> 00:14:18.829
when we had revival
of national tradition.

00:14:18.830 --> 00:14:22.760
That's the time when women thought
that it's much more important to,

00:14:22.799 --> 00:14:24.419
you know, try to rediscover

00:14:25.159 --> 00:14:28.929
cultural roots and maybe
religion, as well, that led to

00:14:30.469 --> 00:14:33.280
I think a boom of head scarves
and other things.

00:14:44.570 --> 00:14:47.650
The next place we drove to
was Samarkand,

00:14:47.940 --> 00:14:50.890
the legacy of the
Mongol warlord Timur

00:14:51.179 --> 00:14:54.750
and famous today for its
dazzling blue minarets.

00:14:54.859 --> 00:14:55.669
But we were there

00:14:55.940 --> 00:14:58.010
to see a very different
side to the city.

00:14:59.299 --> 00:15:01.280
We were put in touch with Sitora,

00:15:01.739 --> 00:15:05.369
a student who had offered to let us
stay a few nights with her family.

00:15:05.729 --> 00:15:08.130
Supposedly we have now
arrived at Sitora's house.

00:15:10.830 --> 00:15:12.309
I've no idea where we park.

00:15:12.869 --> 00:15:14.059
Maybe I just tuck it in here?

00:15:14.409 --> 00:15:15.320
Yeah, I think so.

00:15:19.270 --> 00:15:20.469
Do you have a favourite thing,

00:15:20.549 --> 00:15:21.960
a favourite meal to cook?

00:15:23.840 --> 00:15:24.740
Joshpara, never heard of it.

00:15:25.001 --> 00:15:26.001
What is it?

00:15:26.301 --> 00:15:29.999
You know, ah, I cannot
explain it with words.

00:15:32.630 --> 00:15:34.669
It's that good that
you should try it.

00:15:35.590 --> 00:15:37.260
If you will stay here for one month,

00:15:37.309 --> 00:15:38.279
you will get fat.

00:15:40.710 --> 00:15:41.750
Ah, you are doing good.

00:15:42.109 --> 00:15:43.390
You will be a good housewife.

00:15:43.440 --> 00:15:44.510
Well, if I'm gonna be a housewife

00:15:44.590 --> 00:15:45.849
I don't want to be a bad one.

00:15:47.260 --> 00:15:49.229
When do you want to get married?

00:15:49.380 --> 00:15:49.979
She is asking.

00:15:51.299 --> 00:15:52.049
Good question.

00:15:52.979 --> 00:15:55.320
Emm, probably like 28 I think.

00:15:59.640 --> 00:16:00.900
Yeah, you think this
is old or young?

00:16:01.469 --> 00:16:01.999
Old.

00:16:04.955 --> 00:16:05.600
Really?

00:16:07.450 --> 00:16:11.450
So neither of you have
boyfriends or husbands?

00:16:13.599 --> 00:16:16.990
We were just growing up
that we don't, eh,

00:16:18.739 --> 00:16:21.179
date with people, with boys,

00:16:21.299 --> 00:16:22.700
and that's why we
haven't got boyfriend.

00:16:22.800 --> 00:16:23.530
But husband?

00:16:23.999 --> 00:16:25.401
Husband? No hushand.

00:16:26.530 --> 00:16:27.549
Would you want to date?

00:16:28.490 --> 00:16:29.899
Would you want to date someone?

00:16:29.900 --> 00:16:30.699
No.

00:16:30.700 --> 00:16:33.640
Not now, because I have
got a brother and I would

00:16:33.641 --> 00:16:37.340
prefer to look after him than
just dating with someone else.

00:16:38.299 --> 00:16:39.489
Mm, you love your brother very much.

00:16:39.739 --> 00:16:40.400
Yeah, I love him.

00:16:40.659 --> 00:16:42.760
He's my everything, you know.

00:16:43.020 --> 00:16:45.369
What's his condition,
if you don't mind me asking?

00:16:45.539 --> 00:16:46.830
Uh, cerebral palsy.

00:16:46.840 --> 00:16:47.460
Cerebral palsy, yeah.

00:16:47.590 --> 00:16:47.999
OK.

00:16:48.510 --> 00:16:50.179
Is that common in Uzbekistan?

00:16:50.299 --> 00:16:51.500
No, it's not that common.

00:16:51.619 --> 00:16:51.960
Yeah.

00:16:51.961 --> 00:16:54.210
It is really rare illness,

00:16:54.460 --> 00:16:56.169
but it is very--

00:16:56.299 --> 00:16:57.219
um, how can I say?

00:16:57.229 --> 00:16:58.929
It's very hurting thing.

00:16:59.280 --> 00:17:00.999
Yeah, for him or for you?

00:17:01.400 --> 00:17:03.070
For all family,

00:17:04.280 --> 00:17:05.719
because, as you know,

00:17:05.800 --> 00:17:10.339
our mentality is built on a

00:17:10.340 --> 00:17:13.001
strong relationship
between relatives.

00:17:14.479 --> 00:17:16.040
And sometimes it's difficult, yeah.

00:17:16.199 --> 00:17:20.079
And when I see some boys
of my age or girls who want

00:17:20.079 --> 00:17:23.868
to do something with themselves
because they say that life is hard,

00:17:24.280 --> 00:17:26.280
I just show them my brother and say,

00:17:26.858 --> 00:17:30.249
"Look after him one day
and we will talk with you later."

00:17:37.609 --> 00:17:38.369
She's ncredible.

00:17:40.380 --> 00:17:42.890
She's just doing so much
at such a young age.

00:17:48.819 --> 00:17:50.140
Can't imagine having that pressure.

00:17:52.650 --> 00:17:53.630
Bye!

00:17:54.675 --> 00:17:56.275
Thank you very much for having us.

00:17:56.475 --> 00:17:57.820
Oh, thank you so much for coming.

00:17:57.920 --> 00:17:59.339
And feeding us so much food.

00:18:05.180 --> 00:18:06.180
Bye, guys!

00:18:13.270 --> 00:18:15.219
She doesn't have the life
of an 18 year old, does she?

00:18:15.250 --> 00:18:16.010
She has the life of--

00:18:16.130 --> 00:18:17.250
She's a carer for him.

00:18:35.030 --> 00:18:36.239
From Samarkand,

00:18:36.430 --> 00:18:38.500
we headed towards the Tajik border

00:18:38.869 --> 00:18:41.469
in the direction of
its capital, Dushanbe.

00:18:42.359 --> 00:18:44.640
But it wasn't plain sailing
on the way there.

00:18:48.219 --> 00:18:49.859
So I don't know what
we do about petrol.

00:18:50.479 --> 00:18:52.829
I think we have to stop at every
petrol station and ask.

00:19:01.939 --> 00:19:02.670
I think we should just go.

00:19:25.089 --> 00:19:25.639
Yes, Han.

00:19:26.160 --> 00:19:26.810
It's moving!

00:19:37.400 --> 00:19:37.999
Good?

00:19:46.140 --> 00:19:48.290
Once known as Stalinabad,

00:19:48.489 --> 00:19:51.500
the city developed at a rapid
pace under Soviet rule.

00:19:52.750 --> 00:19:54.859
After the collapse
of the Soviet Union,

00:19:55.109 --> 00:19:58.060
the country was quickly
engulfed in civil war.

00:19:58.890 --> 00:20:00.270
Across Tajikistan,

00:20:00.479 --> 00:20:04.530
up to 100,000 people are thought
to have died in this conflict.

00:20:08.180 --> 00:20:11.069
Today, Dushanbe is a peaceful city,

00:20:11.359 --> 00:20:14.008
although the shadow of its
authoritarian past

00:20:14.009 --> 00:20:15.109
can still be seen.

00:20:16.780 --> 00:20:18.479
So peak temperature today,

00:20:19.380 --> 00:20:20.520
41 degrees.

00:20:21.729 --> 00:20:23.400
We'd arranged to meet Zarina,

00:20:23.689 --> 00:20:25.999
a guide who wanted to introduce us

00:20:25.999 --> 00:20:27.400
to women in the city.

00:20:28.089 --> 00:20:30.010
People always are concerned
about the neighbours,

00:20:30.050 --> 00:20:31.609
what they think, right?

00:20:31.729 --> 00:20:35.119
Like, the typical Tajik girl
should have long hair,

00:20:37.369 --> 00:20:39.130
and this girl should be, like, shy,

00:20:39.410 --> 00:20:43.629
closed and, like,
I would say fragile, maybe?

00:20:43.630 --> 00:20:45.789
And is that how women
are brought up to be? Shy?

00:20:45.890 --> 00:20:49.640
Yeah, kind of like they should
be lower than men, you know?

00:20:49.810 --> 00:20:51.609
This is how they're
brought up to be.

00:20:55.290 --> 00:20:57.999
Zarina had warned us
it might be difficult

00:20:58.001 --> 00:21:01.599
to get women in Dushanbe to open up.

00:21:02.969 --> 00:21:04.060
And before we knew it,

00:21:04.369 --> 00:21:07.139
we'd already attracted
some unwanted attention.

00:21:18.250 --> 00:21:19.399
I think we should wander away

00:21:19.399 --> 00:21:21.699
'cause I think this man just
keeps looking at us.

00:21:26.140 --> 00:21:27.819
I would have liked to have asked
her some more questions,

00:21:27.900 --> 00:21:29.349
but I just felt that man--

00:21:29.979 --> 00:21:31.579
He was almost, like,
calling someone.

00:21:34.790 --> 00:21:35.790
Right, let's cross.

00:21:35.791 --> 00:21:37.099
It's this way,
it's just down this road.

00:21:37.819 --> 00:21:39.930
We had heard about
a cafe in the city

00:21:40.300 --> 00:21:42.650
that supports women in
abusive relationships,

00:21:43.020 --> 00:21:44.369
and wanted to learn more.

00:21:44.619 --> 00:21:47.001
We'd love to hear a bit
more about the cafe

00:21:47.001 --> 00:21:48.999
and maybe talk to some of
the women who work here

00:21:48.999 --> 00:21:50.799
and just hear about their stories.

00:22:05.459 --> 00:22:06.099
So do you--

00:22:06.319 --> 00:22:08.800
Do you not tell people
about the project?

00:22:08.920 --> 00:22:09.680
Do you keep it secret?

00:22:19.479 --> 00:22:20.869
No, I completely understand that.

00:22:25.810 --> 00:22:27.999
And I do get the point that if

00:22:28.510 --> 00:22:31.459
they're seen to be showcasing
these women and their stories,

00:22:31.709 --> 00:22:32.959
that maybe less women,

00:22:33.150 --> 00:22:35.430
local women are gonna be
inclined to join the cafe.

00:22:36.829 --> 00:22:37.760
Yeah...

00:22:38.629 --> 00:22:39.628
Sad, though.

00:22:43.689 --> 00:22:45.619
After an unsuccessful morning,

00:22:45.790 --> 00:22:47.859
we were surprised
when Zarina suggested

00:22:47.860 --> 00:22:49.550
we check out Duchambe Zoo.

00:22:50.550 --> 00:22:52.990
She told us there was
a lady working there

00:22:52.991 --> 00:22:55.469
who had a mysterious
bond with the animals,

00:22:55.469 --> 00:22:57.269
having trained them from birth.

00:23:02.260 --> 00:23:04.219
How long have you been
working with animals in this zoo?

00:24:27.099 --> 00:24:29.001
And her children are
happy with school?

00:24:48.689 --> 00:24:50.560
She keeps saying,
"Mom take me home."

00:25:33.140 --> 00:25:35.040
People are very worried
about shame here, right?

00:25:35.040 --> 00:25:37.040
Yeah, here they're really
concerned about these things.

00:25:37.040 --> 00:25:41.319
Like if you tell your problem it
means you're weak and you're, like,

00:25:41.599 --> 00:25:43.030
it's shame for you, so.

00:25:43.359 --> 00:25:43.790
But--

00:25:44.400 --> 00:25:48.269
And then that's why she said, like,
"I finally started telling people

00:25:48.279 --> 00:25:50.680
because I was fed up with it."

00:26:19.010 --> 00:26:19.819
I will just

00:26:20.900 --> 00:26:22.770
check the map to see
where we are going.

00:26:24.819 --> 00:26:26.000
Across this next road,

00:26:26.579 --> 00:26:27.890
then at the next
junction we turn right

00:26:27.900 --> 00:26:29.650
and it's like 200 metres
down that road.

00:26:29.859 --> 00:26:32.609
It's a place called the VEFA Centre.

00:26:33.260 --> 00:26:33.890
Sports centre.

00:26:34.060 --> 00:26:35.050
I think it's a sports centre,

00:26:35.060 --> 00:26:38.099
which is where they're training
for taekwondo and kickboxing.

00:27:59.219 --> 00:27:59.979
That's you!

00:28:01.270 --> 00:28:01.949
Yeah.

00:28:03.469 --> 00:28:04.910
Is your husband on the wall as well?

00:28:05.660 --> 00:28:06.660
They're together here.

00:28:08.550 --> 00:28:11.229
Has anyone ever been judgmental
about the fact that you've

00:28:11.229 --> 00:28:14.589
carried on doing your sport
whilst also being a mother?

00:28:56.869 --> 00:29:00.250
We'd met two extraordinary
characters in Dushanbe.

00:29:01.030 --> 00:29:02.859
Getting ready to leave on a high,

00:29:03.069 --> 00:29:06.859
we started preparing for our first
ascent into the mountains.

00:29:10.900 --> 00:29:11.490
OK.

00:29:14.359 --> 00:29:15.859
Don't know why it's
making that noise.

00:29:16.109 --> 00:29:17.430
The battery's not flat because...

00:29:18.400 --> 00:29:19.260
Fuck.

00:29:19.640 --> 00:29:20.199
No.

00:29:20.829 --> 00:29:21.930
The aircon works.

00:29:24.180 --> 00:29:24.458
Sorry?

00:29:24.459 --> 00:29:25.299
Turn the light on.

00:29:28.160 --> 00:29:29.170
On, it's not the battery.

00:29:29.209 --> 00:29:30.560
It's something to do
with the ignition.

00:29:34.430 --> 00:29:35.109
That's the battery?

00:29:41.829 --> 00:29:43.619
I feel like these two cars
are mating in some way.

00:29:47.829 --> 00:29:48.170
Here?

00:29:49.890 --> 00:29:49.900
Oh

00:29:50.760 --> 00:29:51.590
Just like this?

00:29:56.229 --> 00:29:56.800
And now here.

00:29:58.489 --> 00:29:58.920
Yes.

00:29:59.040 --> 00:29:59.709
Now it works.

00:30:00.880 --> 00:30:01.960
Yeah, try it.

00:30:02.250 --> 00:30:02.960
Try it.

00:30:05.359 --> 00:30:06.349
Yessss!

00:30:08.001 --> 00:30:09.579
Thank you, man,
thank you so much.

00:30:11.209 --> 00:30:11.920
Let's go.

00:30:14.709 --> 00:30:15.890
It's quite of nice to be
on the move again.

00:30:17.689 --> 00:30:18.260
Hello.

00:30:19.310 --> 00:30:20.109
Good, thank you.

00:30:24.520 --> 00:30:25.660
It's good, thank you.

00:30:25.790 --> 00:30:26.350
Bye.

00:30:28.589 --> 00:30:29.569
That was weird.

00:30:33.680 --> 00:30:34.750
Leaving Dushanbe,

00:30:35.079 --> 00:30:37.189
we headed into the
Pamir mountain range.

00:30:38.420 --> 00:30:39.709
From the offset,

00:30:40.020 --> 00:30:42.890
things didn't go quite as
smoothly as planned.

00:30:43.380 --> 00:30:44.540
Yep, okey dokey.

00:30:45.930 --> 00:30:50.150
Oh, you know I can really
smell our tank of petrol.

00:30:54.930 --> 00:30:56.500
It's gone all over your
sleeping bag, actually.

00:30:56.619 --> 00:30:57.409
Sorry.

00:31:09.390 --> 00:31:11.689
Next time we stop can we
try and get cold water

00:31:11.790 --> 00:31:12.688
or a flat Coke or something?

00:31:12.689 --> 00:31:13.480
Yeah, definitely.

00:31:13.890 --> 00:31:15.001
Feeling really quite ill.

00:31:29.699 --> 00:31:30.560
How you feeling?

00:31:30.660 --> 00:31:31.439
OK.

00:31:31.650 --> 00:31:32.689
It's long, it's bumpy.

00:31:33.569 --> 00:31:34.280
We're nearly there.

00:31:35.250 --> 00:31:37.310
It's just so hot coming
in from this window.

00:31:39.479 --> 00:31:40.709
And we've also run out of water.

00:31:42.540 --> 00:31:43.499
Which isn't great.

00:31:57.089 --> 00:31:58.000
It's actually a shock.

00:31:58.199 --> 00:31:58.949
Please be open.

00:32:00.439 --> 00:32:01.249
Water.

00:32:01.251 --> 00:32:02.239
Please please please.

00:32:10.000 --> 00:32:11.020
I'm feeling a but sick.

00:32:11.420 --> 00:32:13.208
Hmm? Don't drink too much.

00:32:21.079 --> 00:32:22.639
We'll be there in 20 minutes, Han.

00:32:25.869 --> 00:32:26.679
20 minutes.

00:32:30.654 --> 00:32:31.694
Should I go?

00:32:32.880 --> 00:32:33.529
Yeah?

00:32:43.609 --> 00:32:45.640
The road was relentless.

00:32:45.969 --> 00:32:48.199
With Hannah feeling
increasingly worse,

00:32:48.489 --> 00:32:50.760
we decided to head
off the Pamir Highway

00:32:51.089 --> 00:32:52.599
and drive to the nearest town.

00:32:55.060 --> 00:32:55.689
I think

00:32:56.939 --> 00:32:59.819
at the end of this street
and left is Gharm.

00:33:07.550 --> 00:33:08.989
This is the first time
we've, like, actually

00:33:08.989 --> 00:33:11.030
rocked up somewhere
without much of a plan.

00:33:12.510 --> 00:33:15.250
But you go 'round left and then you
can get your car in the back.

00:33:19.439 --> 00:33:20.510
Don't do this to me.

00:33:24.869 --> 00:33:25.829
It can't be that, too.

00:33:32.489 --> 00:33:33.760
So scared to stall it now.

00:33:51.589 --> 00:33:52.369
Yeah, how you feeling?

00:33:53.749 --> 00:33:54.549
So-so.

00:33:57.690 --> 00:33:59.999
We were introduced to Mohijahon.

00:34:00.180 --> 00:34:01.999
She runs women's development schemes

00:34:02.001 --> 00:34:03.459
through the Aga Khan Foundation,

00:34:04.459 --> 00:34:07.050
supporting women whose
husbands work abroad.

00:34:08.795 --> 00:34:10.982
First time, first time
we're trying this.

00:34:11.139 --> 00:34:12.830
In some parts of Tajikistan,

00:34:13.139 --> 00:34:16.090
up to 80% of men have
migrated to Russia,

00:34:16.739 --> 00:34:17.969
leaving the women behind

00:34:18.219 --> 00:34:21.090
to run households, communities,
and businesses.

00:34:22.219 --> 00:34:22.969
Very good.

00:34:23.749 --> 00:34:24.449
Mmm.

00:34:25.228 --> 00:34:28.260
After connecting us with a
local student to translate,

00:34:28.668 --> 00:34:33.429
Mohijahon sent us off to meet
women learning bee farming.

00:34:37.370 --> 00:34:38.101
Assalamu alaikum.

00:35:12.580 --> 00:35:12.629
roman give birth.

00:36:17.229 --> 00:36:20.091
This one you can eat by bread,
but this one--

00:36:20.182 --> 00:36:20.989
Just like this?

00:36:24.389 --> 00:36:25.669
it's like chewing gum.

00:36:26.070 --> 00:36:28.979
You just, uh, eat it
sweet and then...

00:36:29.879 --> 00:36:30.679
Mmm.

00:36:31.300 --> 00:36:32.080
And I eat the wax?

00:36:36.330 --> 00:36:37.639
It's like chewing gum.

00:36:37.719 --> 00:36:38.949
The sweet you eat, and then...

00:36:43.479 --> 00:36:44.879
You just taste it and
then you take it out?

00:36:45.199 --> 00:36:45.889
I could swallow it.

00:36:45.899 --> 00:36:46.999
It tastes delicious.

00:36:52.639 --> 00:36:53.100
but they

00:37:03.010 --> 00:37:03.040
I feel free.

00:37:05.201 --> 00:37:06.989
Is your family very religious,

00:37:06.990 --> 00:37:07.999
if you don't mind me asking?

00:37:24.479 --> 00:37:24.899
Yeah.

00:37:25.469 --> 00:37:27.679
But still you always
wear the headscarf?

00:37:29.110 --> 00:37:30.029
Yeah. Really?

00:37:30.030 --> 00:37:31.300
It's beautiful.

00:37:31.510 --> 00:37:32.270
Thank you.

00:37:32.780 --> 00:37:35.659
But I actually didn't see
any women not wearing it.

00:37:36.110 --> 00:37:38.989
In Duchambe, yes, but in
Gharm everone wears?

00:38:03.989 --> 00:38:04.999
So much rice pudding.

00:38:06.899 --> 00:38:07.814
Some sugar in my tea.

00:38:08.629 --> 00:38:09.501
Eat my eggs.

00:38:13.360 --> 00:38:14.569
I don't feel sick.

00:38:15.120 --> 00:38:16.580
It's just like the best
feeling in the world.

00:38:31.649 --> 00:38:33.409
Dilbar was pretty extraordinary

00:38:34.070 --> 00:38:36.840
in that she seemed to--

00:38:38.120 --> 00:38:40.659
She seemed to just be working
with so many initiatives.

00:38:41.020 --> 00:38:41.640
I know.

00:38:41.642 --> 00:38:44.739
Like small, good ideas to help get

00:38:44.979 --> 00:38:46.810
local women small income.

00:38:47.219 --> 00:38:48.060
It's not like, you know,

00:38:48.260 --> 00:38:51.969
big grand plans or
economic revolution.

00:38:52.090 --> 00:38:52.679
Yeah.

00:38:53.729 --> 00:38:56.090
It's small scale
local revolution, though.

00:38:56.250 --> 00:38:56.999
Yeah.

00:39:19.110 --> 00:39:19.999
Does it help?

00:39:28.179 --> 00:39:29.300
I don't know where we are.

00:39:30.080 --> 00:39:32.019
So I'm thinking, where did
we cross that river?

00:39:32.019 --> 00:39:33.000
Here.

00:39:35.020 --> 00:39:35.810
I think it's left.

00:39:43.860 --> 00:39:45.659
Between us and Kalaikum,

00:39:45.760 --> 00:39:47.129
the next major city,

00:39:47.620 --> 00:39:50.020
was the Tavildara Pass,

00:39:50.100 --> 00:39:53.110
one of the riskiest sections
of the Pamir Highway.

00:39:54.169 --> 00:39:56.820
With sheer drops on either side,

00:39:57.129 --> 00:39:59.050
a slip of the wheel can be fatal.

00:39:59.129 --> 00:40:00.479
This is where it gets a bit exciting.

00:40:44.788 --> 00:40:45.699
Flat tire?

00:40:45.999 --> 00:40:46.800
Fuck!

00:40:47.320 --> 00:40:48.459
My tire's flat?

00:40:49.770 --> 00:40:50.600
Really flat?

00:40:51.590 --> 00:40:52.449
Oh shit.

00:40:53.999 --> 00:40:54.940
Yeah, shit.

00:40:54.950 --> 00:40:56.648
Han, is it really bad?

00:40:56.649 --> 00:40:58.639
Yeah, really really bad.

00:41:18.230 --> 00:41:19.399
Wait, they pumped it up?

00:41:37.310 --> 00:41:38.459
Bye bye, thank you.

00:41:44.530 --> 00:41:45.330
Bye!

00:41:47.469 --> 00:41:48.540
It doesn't make me--

00:41:49.270 --> 00:41:50.620
It doesn't make me trust them.

00:41:57.949 --> 00:41:58.989
OK, we're moving.

00:42:05.830 --> 00:42:08.949
Have to say, I'm, like, so
impressed at their ingenuity.

00:42:09.070 --> 00:42:10.989
He fixed it with a nail,
tissue and plastic

00:42:10.990 --> 00:42:12.510
which he melted to form a bung.

00:42:13.580 --> 00:42:14.810
And it's still going,

00:42:15.370 --> 00:42:16.420
40 kilometres later.

00:42:20.449 --> 00:42:22.149
Finally, we've made it.

00:42:22.709 --> 00:42:23.619
Alaikum.

00:42:23.969 --> 00:42:24.909
It's a long day.

00:42:31.679 --> 00:42:33.189
So today we're going from here

00:42:34.640 --> 00:42:35.540
to here.

00:42:36.090 --> 00:42:38.840
With the stress of the
Tavildara Pass behind us,

00:42:39.090 --> 00:42:41.290
we left Kalai Khum in high spirits,

00:42:41.489 --> 00:42:43.250
aiming for the city of Khorog.

00:42:50.739 --> 00:42:52.989
As we drove along, we were surprised

00:42:52.990 --> 00:42:56.169
to find a group of women and
children at the side of the road

00:42:56.540 --> 00:42:58.129
trying to hitch a ride.

00:42:58.550 --> 00:42:59.999
Are they waving or they
want us to stop?

00:43:00.001 --> 00:43:01.201
I don't know, let's see
what they want then.

00:43:02.401 --> 00:43:03.360
Assalamu alaikum.

00:43:03.910 --> 00:43:06.510
When we pulled over
to offer them a lift,

00:43:06.800 --> 00:43:09.070
they seemed equally
surprised at finding

00:43:09.071 --> 00:43:11.840
two foreign women behind the wheel,

00:43:11.840 --> 00:43:13.700
but clambered in all the same.

00:43:30.091 --> 00:43:31.899
Here? OK.

00:43:34.129 --> 00:43:35.189
Bye bye.

00:43:36.020 --> 00:43:36.610
Thank you.

00:43:36.780 --> 00:43:37.409
You're really welcome.

00:43:37.530 --> 00:43:40.189
It's nice to meet you.

00:43:41.999 --> 00:43:42.804
Chai?

00:43:43.912 --> 00:43:45.112
Yeah! Yes, please.

00:43:45.419 --> 00:43:46.559
OK, let's have Chai.

00:43:53.889 --> 00:43:54.599
Oh

00:43:56.860 --> 00:43:59.610
Following the family up
away from the road,

00:43:59.939 --> 00:44:03.330
we got introduced to Sayram,
a school teacher,

00:44:03.620 --> 00:44:06.090
and the only person in the
village who spoke English.

00:44:07.619 --> 00:44:08.639
Hello, how are you?

00:44:08.679 --> 00:44:09.550
I'm very well.

00:44:10.709 --> 00:44:11.479
Nice to meet you.

00:44:11.760 --> 00:44:12.639
Nice to meet you too.

00:44:12.760 --> 00:44:13.950
Hello, how are you?

00:44:14.050 --> 00:44:15.100
Welcome to our place.

00:44:16.320 --> 00:44:17.877
This is my daughter.

00:44:17.879 --> 00:44:19.070
She's your daughter?

00:44:19.080 --> 00:44:20.649
My son has birthday today.

00:44:21.320 --> 00:44:22.458
He's 7 years old.

00:44:22.459 --> 00:44:23.158
7 years old.

00:44:23.159 --> 00:44:23.810
Yes.

00:44:25.219 --> 00:44:26.989
My daughter is 8 years old.

00:44:30.320 --> 00:44:32.389
Well, today we drive to Khorog.

00:44:36.620 --> 00:44:37.700
But we can sleep?

00:44:44.850 --> 00:44:47.110
And then tomorrow
morning we go early.

00:44:47.111 --> 00:44:47.999
Yes, yes.

00:44:48.419 --> 00:44:50.229
Before we knew it,
we'd agreed to stay the night.

00:45:17.219 --> 00:45:18.590
Do you do all of this gardening?

00:45:21.340 --> 00:45:22.190
On your own?

00:45:22.300 --> 00:45:22.629
Yes.

00:45:22.879 --> 00:45:24.530
Wow, is it hard work?

00:45:38.039 --> 00:45:39.440
You husband, he works
just one month?

00:45:50.639 --> 00:45:52.718
OK, so all the money comes from you?

00:45:52.719 --> 00:45:54.150
- Yes, yes, yes.
- Wow.

00:46:23.530 --> 00:46:25.610
Do you want your children
to go to university?

00:46:50.101 --> 00:46:51.570
Oh, let's have a look.

00:47:17.760 --> 00:47:17.790
I

00:47:44.770 --> 00:47:46.569
I think it's a difficult life here.

00:47:48.159 --> 00:47:50.760
And then the alternative is to
leave and go to Russia

00:47:50.850 --> 00:47:53.149
and leave, you know,
a whole community and--

00:47:54.309 --> 00:47:54.999
Yeah.

00:47:55.001 --> 00:47:56.260
I think we've seen two men.

00:47:56.261 --> 00:47:57.401
I mean we already
know there's at least

00:47:57.402 --> 00:47:59.600
one husband who's been
in Russia for three years.

00:47:59.810 --> 00:48:01.030
I wonder how many more.

00:48:01.280 --> 00:48:01.669
Yeah.

00:48:02.229 --> 00:48:03.499
It's no wonder there's no men here.

00:48:05.709 --> 00:48:06.500
Sleepy.

00:48:13.201 --> 00:48:14.331
Ahh, really comfy.

00:48:17.340 --> 00:48:17.979
OK.

00:48:20.550 --> 00:48:21.909
Come again, OK?

00:48:28.340 --> 00:48:30.899
When Sayram first told us her husband

00:48:30.900 --> 00:48:33.209
wasn't really supporting the family,

00:48:33.209 --> 00:48:35.679
we'd quickly jumped to conclusions.

00:48:35.929 --> 00:48:37.239
But by the next morning,

00:48:37.489 --> 00:48:39.270
we'd formed a different view.

00:48:39.570 --> 00:48:41.109
I don't know why, but when
we first talked to her

00:48:41.110 --> 00:48:42.399
and her husband wasn't there,

00:48:42.929 --> 00:48:45.701
the picture I got was so wrong

00:48:45.702 --> 00:48:47.060
and then I felt kind of a bit--

00:48:47.790 --> 00:48:49.250
I felt a bit guilty.

00:48:49.899 --> 00:48:53.219
Job opportunities are few
and far between for men.

00:48:54.409 --> 00:48:56.639
With little infrastructure or economy

00:48:56.889 --> 00:48:58.530
and harsh winters,

00:48:58.649 --> 00:49:01.159
it was easy to see why so many men

00:49:01.409 --> 00:49:03.239
are forced to Russia for work.

00:49:12.610 --> 00:49:14.800
We're still right on the
border with Afghanistan.

00:49:15.129 --> 00:49:15.929
As far as I can see,

00:49:16.010 --> 00:49:18.090
the border is in that river.

00:49:21.919 --> 00:49:25.270
We were now heading deep
into the Pamir Mountains,

00:49:25.520 --> 00:49:27.929
stopping off first at
the city of Khorog,

00:49:28.280 --> 00:49:31.580
where an annual festival
of culture was taking place.

00:49:32.120 --> 00:49:33.719
I'm actually really
excited for this festival.

00:49:35.250 --> 00:49:37.199
With one of the largest universities,

00:49:37.570 --> 00:49:40.799
Khorog has become a hub
for education and culture.

00:50:17.060 --> 00:50:18.679
People here are very poor,

00:50:19.969 --> 00:50:21.510
but education is very important.

00:50:21.750 --> 00:50:23.780
It is related to our faith.

00:50:23.780 --> 00:50:25.050
Right, Ismaili?

00:50:25.050 --> 00:50:25.520
Yes.

00:50:25.840 --> 00:50:27.260
It's very open.

00:50:27.770 --> 00:50:31.040
Our imam always talks
about education,

00:50:31.110 --> 00:50:34.810
and he specifically stresses
education for women.

00:50:35.929 --> 00:50:39.649
He says that education for
women is especially important

00:50:39.649 --> 00:50:42.439
because a woman in the future
will be the mother.

00:50:43.550 --> 00:50:46.050
She will be educating the children,

00:50:46.090 --> 00:50:47.250
the new generation.

00:50:56.860 --> 00:51:00.989
And after the collapse
of the Soviet Union

00:51:01.239 --> 00:51:02.389
and the civil war,

00:51:02.560 --> 00:51:07.699
a lot of young people went to
these Arab countries to study Islam.

00:51:07.701 --> 00:51:12.000
When they came back they
brought these more radical ideas,

00:51:12.129 --> 00:51:14.350
even more than we had before.

00:51:15.010 --> 00:51:18.320
Before even Soviet times
there was this Islam here,

00:51:18.360 --> 00:51:20.999
but it was not,
as I would say, radical

00:51:20.001 --> 00:51:24.999
as when those some of those
young people came back

00:51:25.001 --> 00:51:28.340
and they started to introduce new
concept for women in Tajikistan.

00:51:29.209 --> 00:51:32.540
Some of the women
started to cover fully.

00:51:32.541 --> 00:51:33.570
And they didn't do that before?

00:51:33.570 --> 00:51:34.250
No.

00:51:35.889 --> 00:51:38.660
Although we'd heard that
strict expectations of women

00:51:38.661 --> 00:51:40.209
were on the rise,

00:51:40.209 --> 00:51:42.250
we were about to meet
someone challenging them.

00:51:43.350 --> 00:51:47.040
Khursheda is one of the first female
trekking guides in Tajikistan,

00:51:47.469 --> 00:51:49.669
and we persuaded her
to take us on a hike.

00:52:15.449 --> 00:52:15.459
Yeah.

00:52:23.060 --> 00:52:24.969
In need of a good rest,

00:52:25.260 --> 00:52:29.010
Khursheda took us to a homestay
in the Wakhan Corridor,

00:52:29.260 --> 00:52:32.779
a valley split between
Tajikistan and Afghanistan.

00:52:33.860 --> 00:52:35.969
And tomorrow we're gonna go to...?

00:52:36.109 --> 00:52:36.930
Alichur.

00:52:38.820 --> 00:52:40.499
Which is quite far,
but then after that

00:52:40.500 --> 00:52:43.001
we're at really high altitude
and we're in those,

00:52:43.002 --> 00:52:46.418
you know, like, mountain top towns.

00:52:48.689 --> 00:52:50.050
Is it you who does the garden?

00:52:50.051 --> 00:52:52.650
Because it is so beautiful,
I could sit there for hours.

00:54:11.760 --> 00:54:13.149
Thank you very much.

00:54:13.479 --> 00:54:13.999
Bye bye.

00:54:20.060 --> 00:54:21.770
We had heard how local women

00:54:22.139 --> 00:54:24.860
believed bathing in the
Bibi Fatma Springs

00:54:24.860 --> 00:54:27.090
would make their wish
for a child come true.

00:54:28.100 --> 00:54:30.850
Not all that keen to make
the same wish ourselves,

00:54:31.219 --> 00:54:32.689
we still wanted to learn more.

00:54:41.500 --> 00:54:42.400
It's really hot!

00:54:43.720 --> 00:54:45.220
I could spend alot of time
in here, you know.

00:54:46.820 --> 00:54:48.179
But that hole that they crawl in,

00:54:48.219 --> 00:54:49.070
I couldn't go in there.

00:54:49.100 --> 00:54:50.340
It's absolutely tiny.

00:54:50.820 --> 00:54:53.350
She was telling me that she's
got stones in her hand,

00:54:53.355 --> 00:54:55.850
and she picked them up
from inside the cave

00:54:55.851 --> 00:54:56.885
and she made a wish.

00:55:50.370 --> 00:55:52.429
I didn't really want to
wish for a baby,

00:55:52.520 --> 00:55:53.270
so I just didn't wish.

00:55:53.360 --> 00:55:54.439
But I didn't know if you could

00:55:54.719 --> 00:55:55.659
make other wishes.

00:55:56.320 --> 00:55:57.159
I didn't make any wish.

00:55:57.399 --> 00:55:59.229
I know, and now I think I
should have made a wish.

00:56:00.000 --> 00:56:03.020
After hearing about the
powers of Bibi Fatma,

00:56:03.399 --> 00:56:05.800
we were curious about
women who failed

00:56:05.800 --> 00:56:08.399
to get pregnant after
visiting these springs.

00:56:08.520 --> 00:56:11.120
How is the issue of
infertility dealt with here?

00:56:11.939 --> 00:56:12.870
Infertility?

00:56:13.020 --> 00:56:14.290
So, if you can't have a baby.

00:56:14.340 --> 00:56:16.649
You know, when women actually
physically can't have...?

00:56:16.860 --> 00:56:17.570
Yeah.

00:56:17.699 --> 00:56:19.290
Is that just not talked about?

00:56:35.750 --> 00:56:38.610
I would really like to speak
to someone within, like,

00:56:38.611 --> 00:56:40.001
the healthcare system in Tajikistan,

00:56:40.002 --> 00:56:42.999
and ask them about how
infertility is perceived here.

00:56:43.001 --> 00:56:44.959
Because what we heard
about there was just, like,

00:56:57.500 --> 00:57:00.899
From Bibi Fatma, the
Pamir Highway climbs up

00:57:00.900 --> 00:57:02.978
towards Murghab, our next stop.

00:57:06.250 --> 00:57:07.220
I've got water.

00:57:21.530 --> 00:57:23.140
We haven't seen anything
in such a long time

00:57:23.141 --> 00:57:25.199
except this one, like, yellow bar.

00:57:28.469 --> 00:57:29.340
Oh look at this, Han.

00:57:30.149 --> 00:57:31.030
Smooth road.

00:57:32.209 --> 00:57:34.149
Oh... dreamy.

00:57:35.209 --> 00:57:36.469
And into fifth gear!

00:57:36.550 --> 00:57:37.899
That hasn't happened for a while.

00:58:02.020 --> 00:58:03.401
This is just incredible, isn't it?

00:58:03.402 --> 00:58:05.060
This is just the most
insane bit of road.

00:58:06.090 --> 00:58:07.999
I think this is some of the
most spectacular scenery

00:58:07.999 --> 00:58:08.925
I have ever seen.

00:58:16.550 --> 00:58:17.700
And I think that must be Murghab.

00:58:17.701 --> 00:58:18.590
I think this is Murghab.

00:58:35.979 --> 00:58:36.820
Come on, pal.

00:58:50.570 --> 00:58:52.780
I'm really curious how
things function,

00:58:52.781 --> 00:58:53.729
because it is a hub.

00:58:54.169 --> 00:58:57.888
You know, this is a hub
of the Eastern Pamirs.

00:58:58.169 --> 00:58:59.720
And they call this a city.

00:59:00.129 --> 00:59:00.679
um,

00:59:01.450 --> 00:59:04.300
But it is so remote and so bleak.

00:59:07.219 --> 00:59:08.999
You just think, like,
in the winter this place

00:59:09.001 --> 00:59:11.739
must just get pummelled
by snow and wind.

00:59:11.739 --> 00:59:13.209
It's so remote that

00:59:14.449 --> 00:59:16.820
it's really impossible to access
other places unless you

00:59:16.820 --> 00:59:18.629
have a vehicle or unless
you can go in a vehicle.

00:59:18.800 --> 00:59:19.919
The airport doesn't function.

00:59:23.250 --> 00:59:26.999
Murghab was founded at
the end of the 19th century

00:59:27.001 --> 00:59:29.290
by Russians as a supply post

00:59:29.290 --> 00:59:32.239
at one of the furthest
reaches of their empire.

00:59:33.199 --> 00:59:35.628
Later, during the Soviet period,

00:59:35.800 --> 00:59:38.510
the town enjoyed ample
provisions from Moscow

00:59:38.929 --> 00:59:41.070
brought in via the Pamir Highway,

00:59:41.399 --> 00:59:42.949
with electricity around the clock,

00:59:43.120 --> 00:59:45.668
an airport, cinema, and a hospital.

00:59:47.439 --> 00:59:52.599
Since then, Murghab and its people
have weathered several storms.

00:59:52.600 --> 00:59:56.379
after Soviet withdrawal left
electricity lines torn down

00:59:56.560 --> 00:59:58.429
and the city in disrepair.

00:59:58.870 --> 01:00:00.469
I think this is the hospital complex.

01:00:01.800 --> 01:00:05.489
But the city is still home to the
largest hospital in the region.

01:00:07.320 --> 01:00:09.548
By chance we met Bakir,

01:00:09.550 --> 01:00:12.879
a local man who kindly
agreed to be our translator.

01:00:14.209 --> 01:00:16.770
We were interested in
the healthcare system,

01:00:17.090 --> 01:00:19.199
so he told us to
meet him by the hospital.

01:00:19.770 --> 01:00:22.889
There was a special lady he
wanted to introduce us to.

01:00:25.927 --> 01:00:26.727
This way?

01:00:28.001 --> 01:00:28.705
I can sit here?

01:01:26.315 --> 01:01:28.564
And in her career, how many
babies has she delivered?

01:01:35.799 --> 01:01:37.522
Him? You, she delivered you?

01:01:49.999 --> 01:01:52.999
Do women have any problems
with that, can you ask?

01:02:24.979 --> 01:02:25.969
This is a funny question,

01:02:26.020 --> 01:02:29.230
but can you ask her whether she
believes Bibi Fatma works?

01:02:48.739 --> 01:02:50.330
Maybe I'll take another little photo.

01:02:50.979 --> 01:02:52.620
One, two, three.

01:02:55.479 --> 01:02:56.901
You know when you walk into a room

01:02:56.902 --> 01:02:58.479
and you just sense that
someone has, like,

01:02:58.479 --> 01:03:02.469
a presence and that commands
a lot of respect as well.

01:03:03.560 --> 01:03:04.429
From the hospital,

01:03:04.600 --> 01:03:07.790
we headed for a cup of tea
at one of the nurses's houses.

01:04:35.030 --> 01:04:37.999
We'd been told she was
one of few women in the area

01:04:37.999 --> 01:04:39.510
who had her own car.

01:04:39.511 --> 01:04:42.540
Um, can you tell us how
you learned to drive?

01:05:22.590 --> 01:05:23.520
Thank you so much.

01:05:25.570 --> 01:05:26.289
Bye!

01:05:47.550 --> 01:05:48.669
And we're moving again.

01:05:48.860 --> 01:05:49.919
We're moving again.

01:05:55.350 --> 01:05:56.429
Beautiful morning.

01:06:01.629 --> 01:06:04.350
This is what I imagined the
Pamir Highway to be like.

01:06:04.469 --> 01:06:04.988
You know, when we were--

01:06:05.070 --> 01:06:06.867
I just pictured this, like,
the whole way along,

01:06:06.870 --> 01:06:08.389
and it wasn't like this
the whole way along.

01:06:16.060 --> 01:06:20.578
The next stretch would take us up
over the Ak Baital Pass.

01:06:20.939 --> 01:06:24.550
At 4,655 metres above sea level,

01:06:24.860 --> 01:06:27.550
it's the highest point
along the Pamir Highway.

01:06:28.689 --> 01:06:32.760
And it wasn't long before our
car felt the toll of altitude.

01:06:33.770 --> 01:06:36.600
With less than 15% oxygen in the air,

01:06:37.090 --> 01:06:39.169
the engine struggled with combustion.

01:06:42.139 --> 01:06:43.169
How's the car feeling?

01:06:43.739 --> 01:06:44.699
Just so chuggy.

01:06:44.739 --> 01:06:45.870
I keep trying to go into third

01:06:45.899 --> 01:06:47.610
but it just doesn't really work.

01:06:48.300 --> 01:06:48.818
What do we need?

01:06:48.820 --> 01:06:50.540
What's, like, a good
going up hill song?

01:07:00.699 --> 01:07:02.609
Oh! Icy!

01:07:50.889 --> 01:07:52.800
I'm genuinely gonna be

01:07:53.050 --> 01:07:55.850
sad to leave this area 'cause
I don't think we're gonna

01:07:56.250 --> 01:07:57.280
get anything like this again.

01:08:16.959 --> 01:08:18.299
All the way to here.

01:08:18.470 --> 01:08:19.508
This is where we are, Han,

01:08:19.910 --> 01:08:20.700
in Karakol.

01:08:21.109 --> 01:08:22.609
In our tiny homestay,

01:08:22.830 --> 01:08:25.490
we were lucky enough to meet
a woman our own age.

01:08:27.779 --> 01:08:30.180
Can you tell us how you
learned to drive and, like,

01:08:30.180 --> 01:08:32.001
how it's seen to be a
young woman driving here?

01:08:48.979 --> 01:08:51.129
Your friends think you're quite
cool because you can drive?

01:08:58.609 --> 01:09:01.626
We were curious what it was
like to be a young woman

01:09:01.629 --> 01:09:03.629
growing up in such a remote town.

01:09:42.119 --> 01:09:43.509
Oh, like kidnapping?

01:09:43.520 --> 01:09:44.830
Yes, yes.

01:09:45.080 --> 01:09:46.129
That happens in Murghab?

01:09:49.720 --> 01:09:52.879
We'd heard bride kidnapping
mentioned before in this region.

01:09:53.648 --> 01:09:56.679
But hearing it from such a young
woman was still a shock.

01:10:26.299 --> 01:10:27.528
Wait, this happened?

01:10:31.639 --> 01:10:32.569
And they're happy?

01:10:55.979 --> 01:10:58.910
Is there anything that people can do
to stop this and to change it?

01:11:07.290 --> 01:11:10.008
Why did your parents allow that?

01:11:10.370 --> 01:11:10.479
Because

01:11:15.439 --> 01:11:16.439
Are you scared of that?

01:11:17.930 --> 01:11:19.609
I can't see that happening to you.

01:11:36.970 --> 01:11:39.310
I think it's really strange that,
like, you've talked about--

01:11:39.720 --> 01:11:42.999
your parents seem really
forward-thinking, really modern,

01:11:43.001 --> 01:11:44.039
but then also traditional.

01:12:22.339 --> 01:12:23.209
Morning.

01:12:37.459 --> 01:12:40.059
The next day,
our trusty Pamir Highway

01:12:40.229 --> 01:12:42.020
would lead us out of Tajikistan,

01:12:42.390 --> 01:12:46.509
descending over 2000 metres
in the space of a few hours.

01:12:49.959 --> 01:12:52.469
Well, we've got one egg
and a bit of bread for lunch.

01:12:52.669 --> 01:12:54.358
Three apples, some mulberries,

01:12:54.359 --> 01:12:55.839
and two chocolates and one biscuit.

01:12:57.859 --> 01:12:59.330
At least we've got
enough water today,

01:13:00.229 --> 01:13:03.100
because I'm not sure how
many streams we'd find here.

01:13:11.799 --> 01:13:13.509
How do you think we'll
feel when we finish?

01:13:14.160 --> 01:13:15.999
Like, literally pulling
the car into the thing

01:13:16.001 --> 01:13:18.430
and just being like,
engine off, we're here?

01:13:19.120 --> 01:13:20.319
I think incredibly satisfied.

01:13:21.800 --> 01:13:23.609
It's a long journey.

01:13:23.709 --> 01:13:24.999
Yeah, I don't know I'll be hit

01:13:25.001 --> 01:13:26.459
by, like, a wave of emotion.

01:13:26.520 --> 01:13:27.220
I really don't know.

01:13:27.859 --> 01:13:29.299
I'm not a very emotional person.

01:13:30.930 --> 01:13:31.800
I am.

01:13:38.959 --> 01:13:41.910
So many women are so quick to say,

01:13:42.040 --> 01:13:42.779
"No, no, not me.

01:13:42.939 --> 01:13:43.920
Ask this person."

01:13:44.350 --> 01:13:47.060
Or, you know, to find someone else.

01:13:47.189 --> 01:13:49.748
They don't think there's anything
special about them, always.

01:13:49.750 --> 01:13:51.990
They always want to recommend
another woman for you to talk to.

01:14:12.109 --> 01:14:13.080
Is this a checkpoint?

01:14:13.189 --> 01:14:14.560
I have no idea.

01:14:15.810 --> 01:14:16.860
It says stop, but...

01:14:17.970 --> 01:14:19.160
I can't bother with a border.

01:14:21.189 --> 01:14:22.210
Yeah, maybe get out.

01:14:22.879 --> 01:14:23.999
Do we keep going?

01:14:28.060 --> 01:14:29.500
GoPro, off?

01:14:31.620 --> 01:14:35.099
At the border, we planned to
cross back into Kyrgyzstan.

01:14:44.169 --> 01:14:45.190
We're through!

01:14:46.250 --> 01:14:48.629
We keep having the strangest
border experiences.

01:14:48.750 --> 01:14:51.309
So we just went through
the Tajik border,

01:14:51.430 --> 01:14:52.819
because we're leaving Tajikistan.

01:14:53.109 --> 01:14:55.540
We exchanged a lighter for a tomato,

01:14:55.870 --> 01:14:57.101
and they gave us some chocolate bars

01:14:57.102 --> 01:14:58.859
and invited us in.

01:14:58.859 --> 01:15:02.100
And then said goodbye, and then
we went to another little post

01:15:02.509 --> 01:15:05.759
and we got our passport stamped
with a stamp that had no ink.

01:15:06.029 --> 01:15:07.259
That made me quite sad.

01:15:16.299 --> 01:15:17.069
Ah, man alive.

01:15:21.379 --> 01:15:22.190
Ahh, smooth.

01:15:35.740 --> 01:15:37.129
I almost feel a bit, like, nervous,

01:15:37.140 --> 01:15:40.898
it's just so different to the
driving that we've been doing.

01:15:41.290 --> 01:15:42.390
It feels so fast.

01:15:56.799 --> 01:15:59.600
What's he doing with his hand
and that piece of material?

01:16:02.000 --> 01:16:03.527
No, no.

01:16:03.529 --> 01:16:05.008
Oh God, no he is herding them.

01:16:08.560 --> 01:16:09.370
Try and sneak.

01:16:18.549 --> 01:16:19.759
The little foals there.

01:16:24.129 --> 01:16:26.319
Heading towards northern Kyrgyzstan,

01:16:26.500 --> 01:16:29.549
we took a pitstop in a
city called Jalalabad,

01:16:29.729 --> 01:16:32.390
a place that wasn't
set up for tourists.

01:16:32.569 --> 01:16:35.879
An old Soviet hotel seemed
the only place to stay,

01:16:36.450 --> 01:16:38.770
but leaving the next
morning proved tricky.

01:17:04.850 --> 01:17:07.560
Starting to get a bit
fed up of driving,

01:17:07.850 --> 01:17:10.689
we decided to take a shortcut
through the countryside.

01:17:12.410 --> 01:17:13.120
This is pretty.

01:17:14.549 --> 01:17:15.959
So we've taken a detour

01:17:18.549 --> 01:17:20.720
that is literally halving
our kilometres,

01:17:20.999 --> 01:17:25.128
but potentially quite a shitty road.

01:17:39.600 --> 01:17:39.609
Wow.

01:17:44.839 --> 01:17:45.700
Oh jeez.

01:17:48.310 --> 01:17:48.999
Oh God.

01:17:49.319 --> 01:17:49.850
Don't worry.

01:17:51.229 --> 01:17:52.060
I don't know what to do here.

01:17:53.709 --> 01:17:55.189
I don't know what to do at all.

01:17:56.470 --> 01:17:57.190
Reverse up?

01:17:57.049 --> 01:17:58.160
Oh Jesus, Cat.

01:17:59.129 --> 01:18:01.229
(car horn blaring)

01:18:05.680 --> 01:18:06.470
Can't.

01:18:07.060 --> 01:18:08.140
Get accelerator big.

01:18:08.315 --> 01:18:10.415
(car horn blaring)

01:18:12.290 --> 01:18:13.578
Ahhh, I can't do this.

01:18:13.729 --> 01:18:14.640
I can't do this.

01:18:14.890 --> 01:18:15.490
I can't do this.

01:18:15.569 --> 01:18:16.650
I don't know what to do.

01:18:18.100 --> 01:18:19.458
That's it, that's it, that's it.

01:18:19.500 --> 01:18:20.239
You're going.

01:18:21.720 --> 01:18:22.759
Left hand down a little bit.

01:18:25.029 --> 01:18:25.939
Left hand down.

01:18:26.310 --> 01:18:26.979
Left hand down.

01:18:27.069 --> 01:18:28.258
That's it, left hand down.

01:18:29.109 --> 01:18:29.950
Left hand down.

01:18:30.109 --> 01:18:31.428
Keep going, left hand down.

01:19:19.299 --> 01:19:21.410
He's saying there's water up to
that height on the horse.

01:19:22.859 --> 01:19:23.540
I don't understand.

01:19:24.560 --> 01:19:25.470
Let's just keep going.

01:19:25.680 --> 01:19:26.749
OK, thank you.

01:19:29.000 --> 01:19:30.069
Maybe he's just warning us?

01:19:30.200 --> 01:19:31.309
Yeah, could be just warning us.

01:19:31.439 --> 01:19:32.589
But if the water is that high...?

01:19:32.680 --> 01:19:33.709
Then we'll just turn around

01:19:33.959 --> 01:19:35.720
and we'll just head back
and just do the other route.

01:19:37.379 --> 01:19:38.489
Oh, it's so annoying.

01:19:38.649 --> 01:19:39.970
So close, our road.

01:19:54.670 --> 01:19:55.380
Coming here?

01:20:17.580 --> 01:20:18.859
Is it possible?

01:20:21.060 --> 01:20:21.850
You drive?

01:20:24.859 --> 01:20:28.729
You drive this one, or this one?

01:20:33.930 --> 01:20:35.169
An extra hour of our lives,

01:20:35.220 --> 01:20:36.529
let's just turn around and drive.

01:20:44.009 --> 01:20:46.147
Ahhh, we've taken a 4 hour detour!

01:20:46.520 --> 01:20:51.350
Tried to take a shortcut
to go to Toktogul

01:20:51.600 --> 01:20:53.359
and ended up meeting
a river that was just

01:20:53.839 --> 01:20:55.709
too fast and too deep
for us to cross.

01:20:56.580 --> 01:20:57.850
And we had to turn all the way back,

01:20:57.939 --> 01:20:59.009
we got a bit lost.

01:20:59.419 --> 01:21:02.459
We are so close to coming
back onto the M41,

01:21:02.979 --> 01:21:04.549
our trusty Pamir Highway

01:21:06.999 --> 01:21:08.669
which we should never
have tried to leave.

01:21:09.850 --> 01:21:11.549
We've been punished
for trying to leave it.

01:21:11.589 --> 01:21:13.620
We said we were gonna
drive the Pamir Highway

01:21:14.109 --> 01:21:16.500
and we tried to be cheeky
and take a shortcut and

01:21:17.231 --> 01:21:19.860
now we're returning
to the Pamir Highway

01:21:19.861 --> 01:21:21.001
with our tails between our legs.

01:21:37.839 --> 01:21:39.819
After our fateful detour,

01:21:40.120 --> 01:21:43.999
we pressed on towards a
town on the eastern shore of

01:21:44.001 --> 01:21:46.699
Kyrgyzstan's biggest lake, Issyk Kul,

01:21:47.001 --> 01:21:48.138
where we had planned to meet

01:21:48.140 --> 01:21:50.850
with an inspiring women's rights activist.

01:21:56.689 --> 01:21:57.640
Nice to meet you.

01:21:59.180 --> 01:22:00.180
Nice to meet you.

01:22:04.290 --> 01:22:08.229
What are the most common
issues that women face in Karakol?

01:22:09.259 --> 01:22:11.169
So domestic violence is a norm,

01:22:11.419 --> 01:22:14.529
it's kind of like an instrument for

01:22:14.979 --> 01:22:15.890
controlling the women.

01:22:16.459 --> 01:22:18.140
And then forced marriages.

01:22:20.250 --> 01:22:21.729
We still have bride kidnapping.

01:22:21.770 --> 01:22:23.449
Although, like, a lot of people say,

01:22:23.549 --> 01:22:24.686
"Oh, it doesn't exist",

01:22:24.689 --> 01:22:25.500
It does exist.

01:22:25.629 --> 01:22:26.459
It does exist.

01:22:26.470 --> 01:22:28.330
And in a lot of cases,

01:22:29.799 --> 01:22:34.429
girls are forced to stay in the
family because of their parents.

01:22:34.560 --> 01:22:36.770
Like, in Kyrgyz there is a saying,

01:22:37.200 --> 01:22:39.948
"Where the stone fell,
that's where it belongs".

01:22:40.080 --> 01:22:41.910
So basically it's your fate.

01:22:42.359 --> 01:22:44.069
We're trying to break the cycle,

01:22:44.319 --> 01:22:45.990
so we work with the youth.

01:22:46.319 --> 01:22:47.839
Basically they are the ones,

01:22:48.040 --> 01:22:49.999
the future, you know,
husbands and wives.

01:22:51.410 --> 01:22:54.999
The girls are prone to
being forced to marry

01:22:55.001 --> 01:22:55.999
or bride kidnapped.

01:22:57.169 --> 01:22:59.999
We also work with men and women,

01:23:00.001 --> 01:23:02.979
with the local police authorities,

01:23:02.979 --> 01:23:06.439
because very often when a
woman wants to file a complaint,

01:23:06.649 --> 01:23:08.080
they're turned down.

01:23:08.370 --> 01:23:09.970
Recently there was a case where

01:23:10.270 --> 01:23:15.219
a girl was stabbed in the
police office.

01:23:15.219 --> 01:23:15.700
In Bishkek, right?

01:23:15.700 --> 01:23:16.499
Yeah, in Bishkek.

01:23:16.859 --> 01:23:18.299
Yeah, because the policemen,

01:23:18.379 --> 01:23:20.127
they were like, "You guys
have to deal with it.

01:23:20.259 --> 01:23:21.020
"We're going to leave you,

01:23:21.100 --> 01:23:23.169
"so you guys talk through this",

01:23:23.500 --> 01:23:27.567
and it ended up with her being
murdered in the police office.

01:23:27.939 --> 01:23:32.089
So when we have these
representatives of the police office

01:23:32.459 --> 01:23:35.934
during the trainings, they know that
they will be held accountable.

01:23:38.839 --> 01:23:42.569
So the organisation was founded
by my mother in 2011,

01:23:43.560 --> 01:23:46.700
and she is a former victim
of domestic abuse.

01:23:46.859 --> 01:23:48.629
My father was very abusive.

01:23:49.020 --> 01:23:51.718
And I grew up in this environment,

01:23:51.899 --> 01:23:55.226
and she thought, well,
when she needed help

01:23:55.299 --> 01:23:57.001
there was no one to help her

01:23:57.002 --> 01:23:58.700
because it was such a taboo.

01:23:59.629 --> 01:24:02.350
It was also during Soviet times.

01:24:03.100 --> 01:24:04.750
People didn't talk about this.

01:24:05.060 --> 01:24:07.009
Every woman was going through this

01:24:07.660 --> 01:24:08.729
on her own.

01:24:09.060 --> 01:24:12.250
We also don't have the
idea of confidentiality,

01:24:12.279 --> 01:24:14.450
and this is why women are silent.

01:24:15.220 --> 01:24:17.001
And this is why my
mother was not able

01:24:17.002 --> 01:24:19.220
to ask for help from anyone.

01:24:20.020 --> 01:24:23.410
Women have not been taught
to value themselves.

01:24:25.629 --> 01:24:27.740
When a woman has self-confidence,

01:24:28.229 --> 01:24:31.060
she would not allow others to

01:24:32.589 --> 01:24:33.959
to treat her like that.

01:24:45.700 --> 01:24:49.727
In this region, domestic violence
often goes unreported.

01:24:50.660 --> 01:24:52.819
And those incidents that are reported

01:24:53.250 --> 01:24:54.540
rarely make it to court.

01:24:56.680 --> 01:24:59.310
We spoke to a survivor
of domestic abuse

01:24:59.720 --> 01:25:01.629
who chose not to show her face.

01:25:04.810 --> 01:25:07.917
We unfortunately had some
conflict in the family,

01:25:08.290 --> 01:25:10.274
physical abuse, emotional abuse.

01:25:11.439 --> 01:25:13.759
Several times we had
to call the ambulance.

01:25:15.529 --> 01:25:18.299
What bothers me a lot is that our

01:25:18.450 --> 01:25:20.990
older female generation

01:25:22.129 --> 01:25:25.680
teaches us that we have
to take care of men.

01:25:26.089 --> 01:25:27.290
We have to serve them.

01:25:31.589 --> 01:25:33.859
In a local market in Karacol,

01:25:34.310 --> 01:25:36.001
we witnessed a scene that brought

01:25:36.002 --> 01:25:39.010
the stories of domestic violence
a little closer to home.

01:25:55.490 --> 01:25:58.220
I've literally never seen a man lunge
at a woman like that before.

01:25:58.410 --> 01:25:59.937
Like, grabbed her,

01:26:00.189 --> 01:26:02.810
and made a movement to hit her

01:26:02.899 --> 01:26:04.260
and she pulled out of the way.

01:26:04.509 --> 01:26:05.519
But like, God knows what would happen

01:26:05.520 --> 01:26:07.618
if they were in their house,
like, just them two.

01:26:08.430 --> 01:26:09.190
Let's walk.

01:26:14.430 --> 01:26:16.879
There's something quite difficult
about holding a lens up

01:26:17.370 --> 01:26:20.277
to something that's
really not very nice.

01:26:20.430 --> 01:26:22.007
And instead of stopping them,

01:26:22.049 --> 01:26:23.229
you're standing there with a camera.

01:26:39.839 --> 01:26:40.518
Can you believe, Han,

01:26:40.640 --> 01:26:42.439
final day of driving
this thing tomorrow?

01:26:43.350 --> 01:26:43.999
I know.

01:26:46.379 --> 01:26:49.679
I thought I would be
sad about, like, that,

01:26:49.681 --> 01:26:52.601
and actually with the driving
I'm now like, no.

01:26:53.810 --> 01:26:55.070
For some reason I put
all the emphasis on

01:26:55.072 --> 01:26:57.008
the Pamirs being really amazing

01:26:57.009 --> 01:26:58.879
and I hadn't thought much
about this bit of the road.

01:27:00.240 --> 01:27:03.109
Our penultimate day's driving
was a short one,

01:27:03.359 --> 01:27:05.437
and by this point we
weren't complaining.

01:27:06.259 --> 01:27:09.317
Just 30 minutes around the lake,
we headed to Tyup.

01:27:10.390 --> 01:27:12.618
This stop had been a long time coming.

01:27:14.810 --> 01:27:15.870
So we're now in Tyop?

01:27:16.009 --> 01:27:17.999
Yes, it is Tyop.

01:27:18.001 --> 01:27:20.479
This is my homeland.

01:27:20.860 --> 01:27:22.189
Your homeland, yeah.

01:27:23.790 --> 01:27:28.020
Zarina was one of the first women
we'd called before our trip,

01:27:28.350 --> 01:27:31.069
and we'd always planned to
meet her at the very end.

01:27:32.680 --> 01:27:33.890
This is my home.

01:27:37.149 --> 01:27:37.779
Perfect.

01:27:49.375 --> 01:27:50.699
Hi, lovely to meet you.

01:27:52.370 --> 01:27:53.389
This is my mum.

01:27:54.509 --> 01:27:56.718
Everything, everything is here

01:27:56.850 --> 01:27:57.919
is my mom's work.

01:28:00.939 --> 01:28:02.308
Where shall I sit?

01:28:02.310 --> 01:28:02.589
Just tell me.

01:28:02.799 --> 01:28:03.970
My mum will sit here.

01:28:04.100 --> 01:28:04.819
She sits there?

01:28:05.060 --> 01:28:07.999
You will sit there,
and I will sit there,

01:28:08.001 --> 01:28:09.001
and my mum here.

01:28:10.100 --> 01:28:12.330
This is just an amazing
amount of food.

01:28:13.990 --> 01:28:15.350
I'm glad we didn't have lunch.

01:28:16.339 --> 01:28:17.649
I've got a lot of space.

01:28:18.689 --> 01:28:18.740
I

01:28:21.740 --> 01:28:22.729
Can you cook like this?

01:28:23.619 --> 01:28:24.498
No?

01:28:24.500 --> 01:28:25.970
But you have the expert teacher.

01:29:09.209 --> 01:29:12.078
And I always was on the stage.

01:29:12.290 --> 01:29:14.776
I was always on the stage,
always dancing.

01:29:15.670 --> 01:29:16.502
Really?

01:29:17.799 --> 01:29:18.661
Can I see?

01:29:20.020 --> 01:29:20.049
And this was,

01:29:20.060 --> 01:29:22.810
My mum made me a local star.

01:29:25.579 --> 01:29:26.779
You're so cute!

01:29:27.959 --> 01:29:29.509
Would do you call
yourself a feminist?

01:29:32.250 --> 01:29:33.759
What does feminism mean
in Kyrgyz society?

01:30:13.759 --> 01:30:14.600
Good morning.

01:30:30.689 --> 01:30:31.600
Han.

01:30:32.069 --> 01:30:33.439
Time for our final...

01:30:35.129 --> 01:30:36.160
final leg in the car.

01:30:38.669 --> 01:30:39.700
Oh thank you, thank you.

01:30:45.589 --> 01:30:46.800
Really lovely.

01:31:15.640 --> 01:31:17.599
This time we would be heading west

01:31:17.601 --> 01:31:21.917
along the lake's shore to
our final destination, Bishkek.

01:31:22.669 --> 01:31:24.990
With just 10 hours till we
had to give the car back,

01:31:25.189 --> 01:31:26.750
we were strangely jittery.

01:31:31.020 --> 01:31:31.918
Where did you get up to?

01:31:31.920 --> 01:31:32.970
We've picked a shit road.

01:31:35.859 --> 01:31:37.209
We shouldn't be on this road.

01:31:39.159 --> 01:31:40.419
Well, I don't know,
we weren't really looking.

01:31:40.459 --> 01:31:41.930
But at some point we
were meant to turn off.

01:31:43.600 --> 01:31:44.430
Once again.

01:31:46.029 --> 01:31:48.529
I think today was just
always destined to, like,

01:31:49.140 --> 01:31:50.290
go a little bit wrong.

01:31:50.740 --> 01:31:52.899
It's OK if we make it to
Bishkek in one piece

01:31:52.901 --> 01:31:55.370
and nothing has properly
fallen off the car.

01:32:03.970 --> 01:32:04.770
Shit.

01:32:10.330 --> 01:32:10.999
Yeah, it's OK.

01:32:14.959 --> 01:32:15.868
How funny.

01:32:15.870 --> 01:32:19.476
Our last day driving, two and
a half hours from Bishkek.

01:32:19.470 --> 01:32:19.479
Oh,

01:32:19.549 --> 01:32:20.759
We were making really good progress.

01:32:21.109 --> 01:32:22.999
We're making such good progress.

01:32:30.160 --> 01:32:33.680
Zarina had asked us an important
question before we left.

01:32:42.180 --> 01:32:44.930
Zarina's question was at
the back of our minds

01:32:45.220 --> 01:32:47.529
as we neared the end of our drive.

01:32:48.899 --> 01:32:50.649
We met some amazing women here.

01:32:50.979 --> 01:32:52.857
Yeah... we really did.

01:32:58.750 --> 01:33:00.419
We set out on this journey

01:33:00.629 --> 01:33:02.999
looking for dramatic feminist stories

01:33:03.001 --> 01:33:06.200
about women overhauling the system.

01:33:06.500 --> 01:33:09.569
But the reality we
discovered was different.

01:33:10.180 --> 01:33:11.129
Time and again,

01:33:11.299 --> 01:33:13.330
the most powerful force for change

01:33:13.660 --> 01:33:15.609
came from small acts of resistance

01:33:15.899 --> 01:33:17.649
that could easily go unnoticed

01:33:18.209 --> 01:33:20.078
among daughters, sisters,

01:33:20.080 --> 01:33:21.099
friends.

01:33:21.890 --> 01:33:23.240
We came to realise

01:33:23.490 --> 01:33:27.720
that feminism exists in
all shapes and sizes,

01:33:27.930 --> 01:33:30.001
and even the slightest change

01:33:30.002 --> 01:33:32.899
can amount to a quiet revolution.

01:33:34.370 --> 01:33:36.180
And for all our differences,

01:33:36.470 --> 01:33:39.620
the glimpse we were given
into the lives of these women

01:33:39.910 --> 01:33:41.740
revealed a sense of solidarity

01:33:42.149 --> 01:33:44.547
that crosses cultures, borders,

01:33:44.549 --> 01:33:45.779
and generations.

01:34:08.700 --> 01:34:10.001
Soon, Hannah, soon.

01:34:10.002 --> 01:34:11.001
It'll be nearly--

01:34:13.459 --> 01:34:14.329
Always long.

01:34:15.299 --> 01:34:17.799
We'll desperately try not
to hit other cars

01:34:17.801 --> 01:34:19.759
in our final four minutes.

01:34:23.169 --> 01:34:24.490
That was our last proper drive.

01:34:38.870 --> 01:34:40.250
Han, we're never gonna see it again.