Gender-Based Violence

GBV is endemic across Iraq, affecting women, girls, boys, and men

SEED works to strengthen laws, policies, and protections for survivors and those at risk.

Strengthening Laws

Kurdistan is one of the few places in the MENA region to have a law which criminalizes domestic violence. SEED is working with other NGOs and Government Agencies to improve this legislation and its application.

  • Clarifications and guidelines for implementation
  • Strengthening mechanisms for referrals, collaboration, and coordination among the applicable government agencies
  • Distinguishing the roles and responsibilities of each government institution
  • Greater consistency in application of the law across governorates
  • Strengthening protections for children in law and in practice
  • Establishment of DCVAW offices in all districts
  • Application of the law by all the ministries and governmental commissions

Building Capacity

SEED trains staff from government agencies such as the Department of Combating Violence Against Women and Families (DCVAW) and the Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs (MOLSA).
Training helps participants to:

  • Understand the impact of gender inequalities on people’s lives
  • Provides a deeper understanding of the GBV laws in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq and their impact on survivors and those at risk of GBV
  • Strengthen the quality of services available to people affected by violence and conflict, including GBV, with the focus on women and girls within Kurdistan

Changing Cultural Norms

SEED raises awareness of the laws, services and issues around GBV in Kurdistan, to challenge societal stigmas placed on survivors and those at risk of GBV which form barriers to accessing help and protection through:

  • Empowering young women and girls

  • Outreach and awareness raising with adolescents and youth

  • Partnering with the KRG to prevent and respond to cases of sexual exploitation and abuse
  • Social media campaigns

GBV

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Almost 50% of women in Iraq will face violence in their homes

UN Women Global Database on Violence Against Women 2019

Technology-Facilitated GBV

With the continuous and rapid advancement of technology, we have seen the sudden shift of our daily social, professional and economic routines to online spaces. Technology-Facilitated Gender Based Violence (TFGBV) occurs when an individual or group perpetrates violence against a person using – or assisted by – information and communication technologies or digital media, on the basis of their gender. It is also often referred to as ‘online harassment and abuse,’ ‘online violence,’ or ‘cyber violence’.

Pocket Guide for Ethical Reporting on GBV

In collaboration with the Journalism Initiative on Gender-Based Violence (JiG), SEED developed a pocket guide for media practitioners on ethical engagement and reporting on survivors of GBV. This guide provides essential tips and best practices for ethical reporting, to ensure the safety and security of survivors, and to stop the proliferation of negative and harmful rhetoric and stereotypes that normalize impunity for perpetrators.

Engaging Men and Boys

SEED partnered with Equimundo: Center for Masculinities and Social Justice, to create ‘Healthy Families, Strong Communities’, a psychosocial support initiative based on approaches that have been effective around the world, to engage men and boys to raise their awareness about gender issues and GBV.

Combating Honor Killings and Gender Based Violence in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq

Recommendations to Amending Law No. 8 Combating Domestic Violence in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq of 2011

The groundbreaking legislation Act of Combating Domestic Violence in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq (Law No. 8) prohibits physical, sexual, psychological, socioeconomic violence, and harmful traditional practices perpetrated within families. While it remains critical to protect women from violence in their home, to have a stable, safe, and prosperous society for all, it is critical that the law protects women, men, girls, and boys against all forms of gender-based violence, in and out of the home.

EED Foundation’s aims to ensure a more inclusive and robust law that:

  • Promotes and protects the rights of all survivors and addresses all forms of gender-based violence (GBV).

  • Mandates survivor-centered approaches that preserve the survivor’s rights, dignity, safety, and confidentiality and is applied without discrimination.

  • Provides for a sufficient annual budget and resources, and actionable and comprehensive implementing regulations to ensure its success.

بەیاننامەی دەزگای سیید سەبارەت بە هەوڵەکانی هەموارکردنەوەی یاسای ژمارە (٨) ی ساڵی ٢٠١١

Working to Achieve Gender Equality in Kurdistan

SEED produced a series of three policy briefs on gender and the status of women in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq to help government actors, NGOs, civil society organizations, and the private sector develop gender-informed policies, strategies, and responses to the COVID-19 pandemic and beyond. SEED is working towards a Kurdistan with equal opportunity and rights for all.

Explore SEED’s series on gender and the status of women in the KRI.

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Legal Framework of Laws and Protections for Survivors and Those at Risk of GBV

The GBV Legal Framework provides an analysis and overview of the primary laws in Iraq and the Kurdistan Region of Iraq that provide legally binding protections against GBV for survivors and those at risk.

SEED created the Framework to be used as a resource for first responders, government actors, lawyers, NGOs, and others working to protect survivors and those at risk of GBV, or for policy and advocacy work with the ultimate goal of increasing protections and improving services for survivors and those at risk of GBV, and helping them claim their lawful rights.

Helping Girls Achieve Their Potential!

SEED Girls is a program designed to empower girls (aged 12-17 years) in Kurdistan, as they navigate gender and social barriers, risks, and the challenges they face during adolescence. SEED Girls fosters a sense of belonging and connection with peers to create a strong, supportive and empowered community.

#StopDomesticViolence

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.

Keep your family happy and safe.

Campaign Animations

Preventing Sexual Exploitation, Harassment, and Abuse

Sexual exploitation, abuse and harassment are growing problems in Kurdistan and affect many young women and girls.

Social media has increased their vulnerability to being “sexploited” and harassed due to manipulation of photographs or by the sharing of their intimate/compromising photos, with women and girls at risk of losing their families, their safety, and their lives. Sexual harassment is not just an online problem, it happens in the workplace, schools, taxis and on the street.

Campaign Videos

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