President Barzani gave his keynote speech at the Gender Equality & Women’s Empowerment Strategies: The Case of the Kurdistan Region of Iraq conference held by the University of Kurdistan-Hewler (UKH) in Erbil as part of international campaign 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence.
“There are many reasons that have oppressed women in our society such as forced marriages, honor killings, sexual assault, domestic violence, or ignorance,” Barzani said. “By standing against all this, not only do we reduce oppression against women, we also clear out that ugliness from our culture.”
Barzani said the goal of the Kurdistan Region’s leadership is “to turn society into a center where women have the same freedoms as men to develop their abilities.”
“Our goal is to build a society where women and men benefit from opportunities the same, they both get the same rights, they both get to carry out their tasks equally, in a way that both get equal opportunities to participate in the economy, to make decisions, to achieve their needs. This topic is more than equality in participation, this topic is about women's rights as individuals,” he added.
LIVE: Kurdistan Region President Nechirvan Barzani gives his keynote speech at UKH's conference titled "Gender Equality & Women’s Empowerment Strategies: The Case of the Kurdistan Region of Iraq" https://t.co/JnJdXAi8Cd
— Rudaw English (@RudawEnglish) November 28, 2021
Iraq and the Kurdistan Region suffer from high rates of sexual and gender-based violence, which has killed 18 women in the Kurdistan Region in the first ten months of 2021, according to statistics from the Directorate of Combatting Violence against Women. The office recorded 19 cases of sexual assaults in October only.
Barzani acknowledged the obstacles and said that they require serious work, adding that in order to eliminate them “we need the help of both men and women.”
Kurdistan parliament speaker Rewaz Fayaq also chimed in on the topic at the conference, calling for actions rather than just words.
Fayaq said that violence data in the Kurdistan Region over the past five years has been upsetting, noting that it has manifested differently over time, especially with the development of technology.
“More than 50 percent of violence is through electronic devices and technology,” Fayaq said, calling for reforms in domestic violence laws.
The parliamentary speaker also added that the legislative body is responsible for any shortcomings in laws.
“We consider ourselves as responsible for any assault or violence that happens towards women as a result of legal gaps and shortcoming,” she said.
An Oxfam report published in June 2020 found that women across Iraq, including in Kirkuk and Sulaimani, were at heightened risk of domestic violence and gender-based violence as a result of the pandemic.
“Given that Iraqi women and children - especially those with disabilities - were already exposed to high levels of risk of domestic violence pre-pandemic, these figures are only the tip of the iceberg, considering that a large portion of incidents are not reported,” read a statement released by the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) in November 2020 noting a marked rise in incidents of gender-based violence.
According to the data provided in the report, 37 percent of violence against women at the age range of 15-49 happens in least developed countries with countries in Western Asia having a violence rate of 29 percent.
United Nations Assistance Mission to Iraq (UNAMI) Chief Jeanine Hennis-Plasschaert who also attended the conference noted that the “growing assertiveness of Iraqi women in political life is not yet a given.”
“Lots of work lies ahead of us, not only to ensure elimination of all existing barriers for women to realize their political rights, but also to work towards gender balance in decision making positions,” Hennis-Plasschaert said.
The UNAMI chief said that according to their observations, Iraq has a “rather challenging environment” and gender-based intimidation and violence have taken on various different forms.
Hennis-Plasschaert called on women to “not feel discouraged by the generation of men that currently hold the reins of power.” She also commended the Kurdistan Region for their more advanced legislation on gender-related matters.
The KRG passed the Combating Domestic Violence Law in 2011, criminalizing domestic violence and equipping the directorate to combat violence by investigating it. But so-called honor crimes against women and girls continue, raising questions about the effectiveness and enforcement of the law.
