When she was a teen, Fraidy Reiss’s family arranged her marriage to an older man who abused her violently until she managed to escape 15 years later. Disowned by her family, she attended Rutgers University, graduating as class valedictorian while in a years-long battle to get a divorce, a restraining order against her ex, and to win custody of her two daughters.

To stop such nightmares from happening to other teens, and to help women on the run from husband-abusers, she created a nonprofit, Unchained At Last, providing emotional, mental, financial and legal support, and helping the women get job training.

Reiss has to stand against not only her own angry ex, but also against a sea of angry husbands and families that other women have fled. Fundraising to keep the services flowing is a constant challenge, and the task is enormous. Several US states and territories have ended child marriage, but most have not—thousands of under-age girls are legally married every year in the US, with or without their consent. In many states, laws allow a child to marry but not to file for divorce. If a girl escapes, she’s likely to be categorized as a runaway; Unchained At Last can be charged criminally for helping a runaway stay away.

Nevertheless, Reiss goes on, insisting that forced marriages are a human rights abuse and must be stopped.