ŞÎNYAR BAYÎZ

Sulaymaniyah- In the Federal Kurdistan Region, the number of femicide cases has increased significantly since the beginning of 2022. In the first two months of 2022, 10 women were killed or found dead in different cities.

10 women were killed in the last two months

On January 2, the dead body of a 15-year-old girl was found near the border of Iran. On February 1, the dead body of 20-year-old Şenge Ebdulxaliq was found in the Pencevin town. The deaths of two women were recorded as suspicious deaths. On February 6, a 17-year-old young woman was found dead in her house. On February 7, a woman named Şilan Hesen died due to severe burns that covered her body. On February 9, a woman named Serwin was shot to death. On February 13, a 35-year-old woman was killed by her brother. On February 15, 70-year-old Hemin Abdullah was killed by her son (36). On the same day, a woman named Hewler was killed by a bullet fired by unknown person during a celebration in the district of Ranya. On February 16, Meryem Yaqub, a teacher in Sulaymaniyah, was killed by her husband. On February 19, a woman named Şinyar Huner was burned by her husband. After struggling for her life at a hospital for five days, she died at the hospital.

“Criminals are protected by the state”

Kejal Abdulkadir, one of the founders of the project named, “Women are life, don't kill life”, spoke to NuJINHA about the increasing rate of femicide cases in the Federal Kurdistan Region. Pointing out that the reason for the increasing femicide cases is the policies of impunity, Kejal Abdulkadir said, “The criminals are protected by the state. When women’s rights are violated, the judiciary is not independent. The patriarchal mindset also causes the increase in violence against women.”

“Punish the killers”

Kejal Abdulkadir called on all people to react to femicides.

“All women and people should take to the streets to prevent femicide, to demand freedom for women. When Sêwan was burned to death along with her children, all women should have taken to the streets to make their voices heard. I call on the authorities to punish men who committed crimes and killed women. They should protect women from being killed. They should hold awareness-raising seminars and meetings against femicide.”