Domestic violence – or violence in the home – is a type of gender-based violence (GBV) and is endemic across the Kurdistan Region and in Iraq. It is largely perpetrated against women and girls due to inherent power structures and gender inequality.

Although the Kurdistan Region has legal protections and government institutions in place to protect against domestic violence, violence remains high and has increased in the context of economic hardship, war and conflict, and the COVID-19 pandemic. For all of Kurdistan to achieve peace, security, and prosperity, all individuals, particularly women and girls, need to be safe from harm and violence. Let’s start at home.