ŞÎNYAR BAYÎZ

Sulaymaniyah- The divorce rate in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq keeps increasing. However, divorced women face many rights violations in the region. In an interview with NuJINHA, lawyer Suzan Hisên said, “The leading causes of divorce is the ongoing economic crisis, distrust between men and women, age difference in marriage and choosing the wrong person to marry.”

‘The lack of unity between spouses causes divorce’

Noting that spouses suffer from the lack of unity, Suzan Hisên said, “This also may cause divorce. Spouses should think of each other as friends; however, there is no equality between spouses. Men can do whatever they want while women have to bear all household jobs. This also causes divorce.”

‘Women face rights violations during the divorce processes’

Pointing out that women face rights violations during the divorce processes, Suzan Hisên said, “One of the most visible problems faced by women is that they cannot prove that their husbands cheated on them because the courts ask them to prove it. Some women file a divorce because they are subjected to violence and ill-treatment by their husbands.”

‘More awareness-raising activities should be carried out’

Speaking about child custody, Suzan Hisên said, “When a woman gets a divorce, her family and the family of her ex-husband do not allow the woman to see her children. More awareness-raising activities should be carried out in order to end rights violations faced by divorced women.”