Pursuing my masters in Trauma Psychology, I had to leave Lebanon and its revolution to attend my classes in UK for few days. My classmates were asking about the situation back in Lebanon; they had heard lots about it from the news. While explaining that some violence is happening from citizens who are defending their politicians, one of my classmates commented: “that’s so similar to the relationship between an abused woman and her husband. Don't you think?” We delved so deep in this conversation to try to understand the situation further.

When I mention my profession as a case worker with women in prostitution, all I get are clear question marks on people’s faces. Exclamation marks follow when I mention my regular visits to Hbeish police station in Beirut and my continuous conversations with women detained for prostitution.

Spoken and unspoken questions follow their wondering and surprise.