Challenging Gender-Based Violence in Iraqi Kurdistan
February
23
2011
Hapsa has not left the Aram shelter for almost a decade. Her family cut off her nose after she was falsely accused of adultery. She says it's not safe for her to stay in Iraqi Kurdistan, but so far she has not been able to find asylum in another country. Courtesy of: Andrea Wenzel.
Iraq's northern Kurdish region likes to advertise itself as "the other Iraq," free from the security concerns of the rest of the country. But northern Iraq is not free from violence. More than 12,000 women fell victim to honor killings between 1991 to 2007, according to the Doaa Network Against Violence, though the Kurdish government claims the rates have begun to decline. Latitudes producer Andrea Wenzel met with women in the city of Sulaimaniyah who are using the law to challenge the culture of violence.
More information on gender-based violence in Iraqi Kurdistan:
Democracy and Human Right Development Center
UNHCR report: "Iraq: Kurdish government promises more action on honour killings"
Human Rights Watch: "Female Genital Mutilation in Iraqi Kurdistan"
Institutionalized Violence Against Women and Girls in Iraq
Using Islam to Address Violence Against Women
While some organizations use a secular legal approach to confronting violence against women, groups like the Kurdistan Islamic Sisters Union appeal to religious values. Bekhal Abubaker Hussein directs the group and says they use radio, poetry and publications in their outreach.
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