Just like any country, Russia has its societal taboos. Things we’d rather not believe or admit existed, things too shameful to be talked about.

I discovered a statistic that sent a shiver down my spine. Every FORTY MINUTES a Russian woman dies as a result of domestic violence. Her life cruelly taken from her, usually by someone who claims to love her more than anyone else.

The official statistics report 14,000 unnatural deaths annually of women due to domestic violence. That is four times the number  per capita of the United States. And to put this figure into greater perspective, the total number of casualties in Russia’s TEN YEAR war with Afghanistan was 14,000.

These are just the deaths attributed to domestic violence. Not every woman who is found shot, or who ‘fell’ out of an apartment window, is included in this figure, so estimates place the actual figure much higher. This figure also does not include the many women injured in domestic disputes, nor does it account for the damage done to the young lives of children who are part of these dysfunctional families.

The deaths of these 14,000 women are just the tip of the iceberg of an incredible social tragedy that lies beneath the surface. Because this is something not for general conversation, a topic best avoided, a problem barely admitted to. And there is nowhere for these women to turn. In a country of 142 million people, there are 200 places in crisis centres for women. TWO HUNDRED!! A figure so underwhelming it is cringe-worthy.

The size of the problem is so great, and the efforts to tackle it are so apparently small. There are several wonderful activists who are devoting their lives to empowering women and seeking to stir up government powers, but they are like drops in this ocean of pain. The battle is against entrenched societal views that what goes on behind closed doors, should stay behind closed doors. There is even a Russian saying, “He only beats you if he loves you”.

I am yet another very, very tiny drop in that ocean, but I dream of seeing a tidal wave of dissent. For freedom for these women trapped within the tortured sanctuary of their own homes. I am not sure what I can do, but I’m going to try to be a part of the solution nonetheless. I urge you to join me – pray for this work, pray for women to rise up and make a difference, help support us financially so we can be released to bring hope to the hopeless, share any ideas you have. Where there is life, there is hope!