Special Collection: Iraq: Insecurity and Violence Against Women
This Special Collection aims to raise awareness about some of the realities facing women in Iraq. The collection focuses more specifically on how current events in Iraq have uniquely impacted Iraqi women and have engendered various forms of violence against women.
Table of Contents:
Introduction | Back to top
Violence against women and gender-based violence are not new phenomena to the women of Iraq. However, in recent years, the forms and prevalence of violence against women and gender-based violence have intensified, resulting in increasing vulnerability and risk for Iraqi women.
The following is an initial collection of resources focusing on how current events in Iraq have uniquely impacted Iraqi women. Unfortunately, much of the literature suggests that continued insecurity and instability, exacerbated by a growing humanitarian crisis, has left many Iraqi women with great uncertainty about their future.
This collection’s basic aim is to inform readers about some of the dimensions and realities that face women in Iraq, recognizing that women’s lives are far more complex, rich, and diverse than can ever be captured in an online collection. This collection also recognizes that Iraqi women are not a homogenous group, and that not all voices are woven into this collection equitably.
The included resources illustrate that Iraqi women, like women everywhere, do not always have a "choice" about their fate. Much of the time "women’s reality" is guided and influenced by political, social, and economic powers and will. And although the current situation does not bode well for many women in Iraq, we acknowledge that Iraqi women have, and will continue to demonstrate and embody agency, solidarity, resistance, and survival.
Organizations Working on Humanitarian and Human Rights Issues in Iraq | Back to top
The Organisation of Women's Freedom in Iraq (OWFI)
Arabic: http://www.equalityiniraq.com/arabic/arabic.htm
Kurdish: http://www.equalityiniraq.com/kurdish/kurdish.htmWomen's Will Association
"This organisation operates mainly in Iraq. Our campaigns are focused on economic, political and social issues affecting the welfare and future of Iraqi women. We organise protests on the issue of women prisoners. We publish a monthly journal to discuss the difficulties facing women under occupation and the daily struggle for basic needs, the situation of women prisoners, the internally displaced, the disappeared and missing. We also lobby on constitutional issues facing women, etc."
Resources in both Arabic and English.ASUDA Organization for Combating Violence Against Women
"ASUDA Organization for Combating Violence Against Women was founded in 2000 and registered in May 2001 in Sulaymaniyah with the Ministry of Humanitarian Assistance and Cooperation in Iraqi Kurdistan. ASUDA is dedicated to combating violence against women through an institutional and systematic approach in order to enhance the status of women and strengthen civil society through participation of women."Kurdish Women's Rights Watch
"Welcome to KWRW (Kurdish Women's Rights Watch), an organisation dedicated to supporting and promoting women's rights in the Kurdish community, whether in Kurdistan or in the diaspora. KWRW also incorporates KWAHK (Kurdish Women: Action against Honour Killing), an honour-based violence campaign within the organisation. We are a UK-based network, with members and supporters in many different countries."International Office for Migration (IOM)
"IOM works to help ensure the orderly and humane management of migration, to promote international cooperation on migration issues, to assist in the search for practical solutions to migration problems and to provide humanitarian assistance to migrants in need, including refugees and internally displaced people. The IOM Constitution recognizes the link between migration and economic, social and cultural development, as well as to the right of freedom of movement. IOM works in the four broad areas of migration management: migration and development, facilitating migration, regulating migration, and forced migration. IOM activities that cut across these areas include the promotion of international migration law, policy debate and guidance, protection of migrants' rights, migration health and the gender dimension of migration."Amnesty International (AI)
"Amnesty International is a worldwide movement of people who campaign for internationally recognized human rights for all." The link above is to Amnesty's Human Rights by Country: Iraq page. There's a list of other AI resources specific to Iraq at the bottom.Refugees International
"Refugees International generates lifesaving humanitarian assistance and protection for displaced people around the world and works to end the conditions that create displacement." This link will take you to "The Iraqi Displacement Crisis" page. There are also links to related policy and news.PeaceWomen
"PeaceWomen.org is a project of the Women's International League for Peace and Freedom (WILPF) United Nations Office, in New York City. The PeaceWomen Project monitors and works toward rapid and full implementation of United Nations Security Council Resolution 1325 on women, peace and security. To these ends: PeaceWomen hosts Peacewomen.org, a website that provides accurate and timely information on women, peace and security issues and women's peace-building initiatives in areas of armed conflict. PeaceWomen works to facilitate communication among and mobilization of advocates and supporters in civil society, the UN system and governments working on women, peace and security issues; and PeaceWomen advocates for the integration of gender analysis in the governance, peace and security work of civil society actors, the UN system, and governmental bodies."
- Women, Peace, and Security Initiatives: Iraq
- Women, Peace, and Security Resources: Iraq
- Women, Peace and Security News: Middle East
United Nations Populations Fund (UNFPA) Aid to Iraqi Women
"UNFPA, the United Nations Population Fund, is an international development agency that promotes the right of every woman, man and child to enjoy a life of health and equal opportunity. UNFPA supports countries in using population data for policies and programmes to reduce poverty and to ensure that every pregnancy is wanted, every birth is safe, every young person is free of HIV/AIDS, and every girl and woman is treated with dignity and respect. UNFPA - because everyone counts."United Nations (UN) News Centre, News Focus: Iraq
United Nations Assistance Mission for Iraq (UNAMI)
The United Nations Assistance Mission for Iraq (UNAMI) began with United Nations Security Council Resolution 1500, adopted on August 14, 2003. UNAMI's mandate was renewed with UNSCR 1770. This website offers a wealth of information on Iraq and UNAMI's activities there.Iraqi Al-Amal Association
"Iraqi Al-Amal Association is a non-political, non-sectarian and non profit association of volunteers actively engaged in projects for the benefit and well being of the Iraqi population regardless of race, gender and political or religious affiliation."The NGO Coordination Committee in Iraq (NCCI)
"NCCI is a network of about 80 International NGOs and 200 Iraqi NGOs. Within a volatile context, facing severe constraints and working on a very low profile, NGOs are amongst the few genuine and reliable humanitarian actors able to deliver aid on the field on a daily basis to the most vulnerable Iraqis."
Resources: Articles, Papers, and Reports | Back to top
This section contains resources that speak to current issues facing Iraqi women. Some of these issues include; increases in violence against women and gender-based violence, humanitarian crises, displacement, mental health issues, female detention, and insecurity.
- Background on Women’s Status in Iraq Prior to the Fall of the Saddam Hussein Government |
HTML
PDF (5 p.)
by Human Rights Watch (November 2003)
Provides brief history on women’s status and rights in Iraq prior to the 1991 Gulf War and the Post-Gulf War Years.
+ View Summary
- First Victims of Freedom: An Interview with Iraqi Feminist Yanar Mohammed | HTML (6 p.)
by Amy DePaul, Toward Freedom (May 11, 2007)
This is an interview with Iraqi feminist, Yanar Mohammed, founder of the Organization of Women’s Freedom in Iraq (OWFI). OWFI "speaks out loudly and insistently for women’s legal rights and secular law in opposition to Iraq’s growing Islamism."
+ View Summary
- Freedom Lost | HTML (5 p.)
by Mark Lattimer, The Guardian (December 13, 2007)
This article argues that women’s lives in Iraq haven’t vastly improved with the fall of Saddam’s regime. It examines the worsening of violence against women in Iraq, with particular attention to rapes, burnings, and murders.
+ View Summary
- The height of humiliation | HTML (9 p.)
by Haifa Zangana, Middle East Online (June 26, 2006)
This article focuses on the unique "plight of female detainees" in Iraq’s prisons.
+ View Summary
- Human Rights Report: 1 April – 30 June 2007 | PDF (37 p.)
by UN Assistance Mission for Iraq (UNAMI)
UNAMI’s human rights report “details serious and widespread human rights violations in Iraq with the intent to assist the Iraqi Government in ensuring protection of basic human rights and respect for the rule of law.” This is their most recent report.
+ View Summary
- Humanitarian Crisis in Iraq: Facts and Figures | PDF (5 p.)
by United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) (Updated November 13, 2007)
Gives basic facts on Iraq and the humanitarian crisis there. Categories include water and sanitation, health and nutrition, education, and international assistance and funding, among others.
+ View Summary
- Iraq: Decades of Suffering, Now women deserve better | HTML (31 p.) PDF (37 p.)
by Amnesty International (February 22, 2005)
This report "focuses on the many ways in which women and girls in Iraq have suffered from government repression and armed conflict in disproportionately and differently than men, and also how they have been targeted as women."
+ View Summary
- Iraq Displacement 2007 Mid-Year Review | PDF (6 p.)
by International Organization for Migration (IOM) (2007)
Documents the growing internal displacement of Iraqis, identifies some of the major challenges facing Iraqis such as lack of security, shelter, and healthcare, and provides an assessment of the humanitarian response there.
+ View Summary
- Iraq: Islamic extremists target women in Basra | HTML (2 p.)
by IRIN, United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) (January 31, 2008)
This article focuses on a report recently released by the Basra Security Committee on the "one hundred and thirty-three women killed last year in Basra... either by religious vigilantes or as a result of so-called 'honour' killings."
+ View Summary
- Iraqi Women: Four Years After the Invasion | HTML (3 p.)
by Dr. Nadje Al-Ali (March 19, 2007)
This short paper summarizes the nature of violence against women in Iraq since 2003, critiques the international community’s "gender mainstreaming" policies in Iraq, and proposes a different approach to supporting Iraqi women’s rights.
+ View Summary
- Iraqi Women Under Siege | PDF (20 p.)
by Marjorie P. Lasky with contributions from Medea Benjamin and Andrea Buffa, Code Pink: Women for Peace and Global Exchange (April 20, 2006)
This reports raises "some of the myths and misconceptions about Iraqi women’s roles and rights," as well as inform readers "about the various and uneven ways that women have been affected" by past and current events.
+ View Summary
- The Missing in Iraq: a hard reality, an unsolved tragedy | HTML (6 p.)
by International Committee of the Red Cross (August 29, 2007)
Features the harsh reality faced by many Iraqis who do not know the fate of their missing family members. This tragedy is further exacerbated by the ongoing violence, instability, and insecurity in Iraq, leaving many families without hope.
+ View Summary
- Rehabilitation under fire: health care in Iraq 2003-7 | PDF (16 p.)
by Medact (2008)
"Describes how the 2003 war and its aftermath continue[s] to have a disastrous impact on the physical and mental health of the Iraqi people." The report finds that "urgent measures are needed to improve health and health services."
+ View Summary
- Rising to the humanitarian challenge in Iraq, Briefing Paper | PDF (39 p.)
by Mary Kirkbridge with Michael Bailey and Manal Omar, Oxfam International (July 2007)
Focuses on what it calls "another kind of crisis" that has been unfolding due to the impact of war in Iraq. That crisis is the "up to eight million people now in need of emergency assistance" in Iraq and neighboring countries.
+ View Summary
- Stronger Women, Stronger Nations: 2008 Iraq Report | PDF (36 p.)
by Women for Women International (March 2008)
In the fall of 2007, "Women for Women International conducted this study of 1,513 Iraqi women to raise awareness about the critical link between women’s economic, social and political participation and long-term peace and stability in Iraq." (6)
+ View Summary
Legal and International Human Rights Instruments | Back to top
The following legal and international human rights instruments are included because they are referenced in resources in this collection, and/or because they provide a framework for understanding international human rights, with specific protection for women’s status and rights.
This section includes the Iraqi Constitution as some resources raise concerns about the influence of religion on Constitutional interpretation.
- Additional protocol to the Convention on the Elimination of all Forms of Discrimination against Women | HTML (6 p.)
by United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (1999)
Additional protocol outlines directions on how state parties should communicate with committees on the elimination of violence against women.
+ View Summary
- Beijing Platform for Action | HTML (10 p.)
by The United Nations Fourth World Conference on Women, United Nations Division for the Advancement of Women Department of Economic and Social Affairs (September 1995)
The Beijing Platform for Action aims at furthering women’s empowerment and discusses the importance of women in society as key contributors to the economy and combating poverty; includes discussion about the “feminization of poverty.”
+ View Summary
- Convention on the Elimination of all Forms of Discrimination against Women | HTML (12 p.)
by United Nations Office for the High Commissioner for Human Rights (1979)
Convention aims to eliminate all forms of discrimination against women. In doing so, the convention lists and discusses the inalienable rights that both men and women equally share.
+ View Summary
- Convention on the Rights of the Child | HTML (30 p.)
by United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (1989)
Convention on the Rights of the Child outlines the rights that are afforded to minors under the age of eighteen. Information about protective services are included.
+ View Summary
- Guiding Principles on Internal Displacement | HTML (9 p.)
by The Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (February 11, 1998)
This set of Guiding Principles aims to "address the specific needs of internally displaced persons worldwide." The document includes an introduction and 30 principles.
+ View Summary
- Iraqi Constitution | PDF (43 p.)
by United Nations Assistance Mission for Iraq
Consists of a preamble and a total of 144 articles.
+ View Summary
- Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child, on the Sale of Children, Child Prostitution and Child Pornography | HTML (12 p.)
by United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (2000)
Optional Protocol supplements the Convention on the Rights of the Child by extending appropriate measures to guard against the sale of children, child prostitution, and child pornography.
+ View Summary
- Protocol to Prevent, Suppress and Punish Trafficking in Persons, Especially Women and Children, Supplementing The United Nations Convention Against Transnational Organized Crime | HTML (12 p.)
by United Nations (2000)
The Palermo Protocol is aimed at suppressing the crime of human trafficking, providing protection for victims, and punishing offenders.
+ View Summary
- Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court (U.N. Doc. A/CONF.183/9*) | PDF (88 p.)
by United Nations, International Criminal Court (Entered into force July 1, 2002)
This document governs the jurisdiction and functioning of the International Criminal Court (ICC).
+ View Summary
- A Summary of United Nations Agreements on Human Rights | HTML (5 p.)
by The Human Rights Web
This resource provides summaries of some of the main human instruments of the United Nations, including live links to the full text of each document.
+ View Summary
- United Nations Convention against transnational organized crime and its Protocol to Prevent, Suppress and Punish Trafficking in Persons, Especially Women and Children | PDF (50 p.)
by United Nations (2000)
Convention aims to combat the smuggling of migrants and to protect the rights of victims of trafficking. Convention details suggested protocol for suppressing trafficking and punishing offenders.
+ View Summary
- United Nations Security Council Resolution 1325 (S/RES/1325) | HTML (4 p.) PDF (4 p.)
by United Nations Security Council (October 31, 2000)
Resolution 1325 "is the first resolution ever passed by the Security Council that specifically addresses the impact of war on women, and women’s contributions to conflict resolution and sustainable peace."
+ View Summary
- Universal Declaration of Human Rights | HTML (2 p.)
by United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (1948)
Declaration of Human Rights outlines the inherent rights held by every man, woman, and child – that all humans are born free and equal.
+ View Summary
