ŞÎNYAR BAYÎZ

Sulaymaniyah- In the Kurdistan Region, at least a woman is killed or commit suicide every day. At least 30 women have been killed in the region since the beginning of 2022, according to the news compiled by NuJINHA from local, national newspapers and news agencies. Most of these women were killed in the name of “honor”. The number of women committing suicide has been also increasing. Domestic violence, psychological and social problems cause women to commit suicide in the region. NuJINHA spoke to women activists about the recent increase in the femicide and gender-based violence cases in the region.

“No serious measures have been taken against femicide”

Stating that the causes of the femicide cases are the ineffective implementation of laws and insufficient support from political parties and NGOs to the women in the Kurdistan Region, activist Şade Beşir said, “When an incident against women occurs, the police and relevant authorities should conduct an effective investigation and the perpetrator should be arrested directly by the court. However, the lack of serious measures against femicide causes the women to be killed and subjected to violence. In addition, the free use of guns is also an important cause of femicide. There are guns in most of the houses in the Kurdistan Region and there is no mechanism controlling the use of guns.”

"Authorities pave the way for the increase of problems faced by women”

Commenting on the Kurdistan Regional Government's statement on femicide saying, “There are femicide cases all over the world", Şade Beşir said, “The authorities pave the way for the increase of problems faced by women by releasing such statements. According to them, women's problems are not a social problem. The political parties’ leaders and security forces allow the perpetrators to go unpunished.”

“Guns kept in houses are the main cause of femicide”

Lawyer Hawjin Ehmed thinks the main cause of the increase of femicide cases is the guns kept in houses. “According to the Iraqi law, murderers are sentenced to death. The security cameras across the region help the police to find criminals. Actually, victims of gender-based violence want to file a criminal complaint against the perpetrators of violence but they are afraid of filing it. Even if women file a criminal complaint, the perpetrators are not arrested until they kill women.”

Speaking about the rights of women and men in divorce, she said, “If men seek divorce, they do not face any problem but when women seek divorce, they are subjected to violence by their spouses. Although women have the right to divorce, their right has been taken away from them by their spouses and men use violence against women to prevent them from speaking out against them during the trials. Of course, violence against women in the divorce process is not legal and the perpetrators should be punished. According to the Law. No. 8 of 2011 combating domestic violence, men inflicting violence against their spouses should be punished.”