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Women’s Rights Advocates Join Govt Reps in
Call to Implement Domestic Violence Law in Iraqi
Kurdistan
11.5.2012
By Heidi Diedrich - WADI via Ekurd.net |
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Sir Serwan Ahmad Saleh, left, the first judge of the
KRG’s special court against domestic violence said
that 200 cases are currently before the special
court. Shanga Rahim, right, is an attorney with WOLA,
the Women’s Legal Assistance group based in
Sulaimaniyah that handles domestic violence cases.
Photo: Heidi Diedrich.
•
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Falah Morakhin, left, and Thomas Thomas v. der
Osten-Sacken, right, of Wadi discussed the
importance of the domestic violence law and its role
in advancing human rights in the KRG. Photo: Heidi
Diedrich.
A May 8 event in Sulaimani, Iraq included government
representatives, human rights advocates, and
community members in a discussion about implementing
Law No.8: the Law Against Domestic Violence in the
Kurdistan Region of Iraq. The law became official in
August 2011. Photo: Heidi Diedrich.
Pshdar Rashid Amin, vice director of the KRG
Department of Domestic Violence, participated in a
May 8, 2012 event that included government
representatives, human rights advocates, and
community leaders. The group met to discuss a plan
for implementation of the KRG’s domestic violence.
Photo: Heidi
Diedrich.
May 11, 2012
SULAIMANIYAH,
Kurdistan region 'Iraq', — In a call to honor
the spirit of Law No. 8: the Law Against Domestic
Violence in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq (KRG), more
than 50 people gathered in Sulaimaniyah, Iraq on
Tuesday, May 8 to discuss a serious plan for the
law’s implementation. According to event organizers,
the domestic violence law is paramount to advancing
human rights in the KRG.
The meeting was one of the first of its kind since
the domestic violence law was published in August
2011, bringing together a diverse group of
individuals representing government agencies, human
rights organizations, and community leaders. The
two-hour session included a discussion and debate
about the law and the most effective approach to
developing a plan of action.
The meeting, “Lobbying for the Implementation of
Domestic Violence Law No. 8 2011,” was sponsored by
Wadi, an international human right’s NGO with
headquarters in Sulaimani; WOLA, a Women’s Legal
Assistance organization based in Sulaimani; and the
KRG Department of Domestic Violence – Sulaimani
Office.
Violence against women remains a global concern,
with the United Nations reporting that the most
common form of violence experienced by women around
the world is physical violence inflicted by an
intimate partner. In the KRG, ‘honor’ killings,
female genital mutilation (FGM), and forced
marriages are of particular concern. Research shows,
for example, that a vast majority of women in
Iraqi-Kurdistan have undergone FGM, with some
regions reaching a ratio of more than 80 percent.
The KRG took an important step forward in addressing
such violence in June 2011 when its Parliament
passed Law No. 8: the Law Against Domestic Violence
in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq after several years
of lobbying by human rights activities. The law
became official when it was published in August of
that same year. Since that time, however, a general
lack of awareness about the law has hindered its
implementation.
Widely considered one of the most advanced domestic
violence laws in the Middle East, Law No. 8 also is
said to be one the most modern concerning women’s
rights. Organizers of the event noted that,www.ekurd.net
while the law is not perfect, lawmakers handled
critical issues very sensitively, including many
religious, cultural, and community issues that arose
while drafting the legislation.
As part of the discussion, event organizers urged
government agencies, the NGO community, academics,
community leaders, news media, and other
organizations to work together on a plan of action.
Participants insisted on increasing legal awareness,
especially in rural areas by not only engaging
government officials and human rights organizations,
but also entire communities in cities, towns, and
villages throughout the KRG.
“We think working toward implementation of the law
is 1,000 times more important than issuing the law,”
said meeting organizers. “We hope that together we
can design a plan that can be easily implemented in
close collaboration with the Special High Court,
Women’s Shelters, the Department of Domestic
Violence, and the High Council of Women in the KRG.”
Event participants said they welcomed the
opportunity to meet with the diverse group of
individuals interested in women’s rights. The
gathering also served as a platform for identifying
groups and community leaders with a serious interest
in working to implement the domestic violence law.
Key highlights of the event include:
• Sir Serwan Ahmad Saleh, the first judge of the
KRG’s special court against domestic violence, said
that the court is busy with more than 200 cases. He
was pleased to participate in the meeting, he said,
noting that this was the first opportunity to meet
with the community since he was appointed to the
special court in fall 2011. Created under Article
III of the domestic violence law, the special court
includes family mediation as part of its effort to
resolve domestic disputes. Sr. Serwan said one of
the biggest challenges confronting the court,
however, is a lack of designated and private space
for these mediation sessions, which are offered by
independent non-governmental organizations.
• Pshdar Rashid Amin, vice director of the KRG
Department of Domestic Violence, recognized event
organizers for putting together such an important
meeting, stating that, since the law was passed
there has been very little discussion or debate
about its implementation. He said that the
department would like to continue with a key role in
meetings, seminars, and other trainings in the
future.
• Aamal Jala of the High Council of Women’s Affairs
also recognized the importance of holding such a
meeting. She stated that the Council is monitoring
implementation of the domestic violence law,
coordinating with UNDP and other governmental
departments on a strategic plan for women’s issues.
The plan includes increasing awareness of the Law
Against Domestic Violence in the Kurdistan Region of
Iraq. Event participants had an opportunity to ask
about the plan and discussed ways in which
organizations that are involved in similar efforts
can coordinate activities for greatest impact.
Other event speakers included:
• Shanga Rahim, an attorney with WOLA, the Women’s
Legal Assistance group based in Sulaimani
• Attorney Shokan Hama, who discussed the domestic
violence law and monitoring process
• Thomas v. der Osten-Sacken and Falah Morakhin of
Wadi. The team discussed the importance of the
domestic violence law and its role in advancing
human rights in the region
• Atta Mohamad of CDO, explored opportunities and
challenges related to the domestic violence law
As a next step, a subgroup of will be formed to
develop a strategic action plan for implementation
of Law No. 8.
Raising Awareness through Media Coverage
Recognizing that news media is one of the most
important and effective means of educating the
general public about the domestic violence law,
organizers also invited news media to the event. The
following media attended:
• Satellite Television
Zagros, GK, KNN, NRT, Speda
• Radio
NINA, NAWA, Peyamner, Goran, Dangi new
• Newspapers/Online Media
www.hawlati.co, www.radionawxo.org,
www.sbeiy.comwww.peyamner.com
Media coverage of the event includes:
http://www.peyamner.com/PNAnews.aspx?ID=275370
http://www.chatrpress.com/Detail.aspx?id=8436&LinkID=3
http://www.radionawxo.org/kurdi/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=35464:2012-05-08-16-35-58&catid=3:kurdistan&Itemid=27
Photos by Heidi Diedrich
UNITED NATIONS DEP’T PUBLIC INFORMATION, U.N.
SECRETARY-GENERAL’S CAMPAIGN, UNITE TO END VIOLENCE
AGAINST WOMEN, FACTSHEET, DPI/2498 (Feb. 2008),
available at http://www.un.org/en/women/endviolence/pdf/VAW.pdf.
Female Genital Multilation in Iraqi-Kurdistan: An
Empirical Study by Wadi, 2010,
www.stopfgmkurdistan.org
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