UNAMI Human Rights Office organises roundtable discussion in Kirkuk on accountability for domestic violence

Kirkuk, 18 July 2023 - The UNAMI Human Rights Office (HRO) organized a roundtable discussion in Kirkuk on accountability for domestic violence. The event brought together different actors, including representatives of NGOs, Family Protection Units, IHCHR, journalists and clerics from Kirkuk, Diyala and Salah al-Din governorates. The aim of the meeting was to take stock of the current challenges related to domestic violence and to exchange experiences, lessons learned and recommendations from different perspectives.

UNAMI HRO provided participants with an overview of the international legal framework on violence against women and girls. This was followed by a presentation delivered by representatives of Family Protection Units on their role and mandate. In groups, participants then discussed current practical and legal challenges to accountability for domestic violence in Iraq and developed a series of recommendations on possible steps to address those.

All participants stressed the need for new legislation on domestic violence, to raise more awareness within society about the negative consequences of domestic violence and to eliminate the stigma and shame often associated with it.

The event contributed to the realization in Iraq of Sustainable Development Goal 5: Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls, and Sustainable Development Goal 16: Promote peaceful and inclusive societies for sustainable development, provide access to justice for all and build effective, accountable and inclusive institutions at all levels.

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