New Legislation Aims to Curb Violence Against Women in Kurdish Iraq
After years of campaigning by women's organizations, the Kurdish Parliament has finally passed a tough anti-domestic violence law that will create a special court to address domestic violence cases.
The legislation was drafted by MPs and women's rights and civil rights activists upon a recommendation by the Kurdistan Regional Government, and was unanimously approved by Parliament on June 22. The legislation -- which needs to be approved by Kurdistan Region President Massoud Barzani before becoming law -- considers any type of domestic violence a crime, including female circumcision.
Viyan Sleman, Secretary-General of the Kurdistan Women's Union, praised the new legislation, saying, "If this law is upheld properly, it will greatly reduce domestic violence. But this cannot be achieved in a day or two. People should in the meantime be educated about the law."
Those found guilty of domestic violence will face a fine between 1 million and 5 million Iraqi dinars [US $850 to 4,275] or between 6 months and 3 years in jail.
Hazha Sleman, Vice-Chair of Parliament's Women's Rights Committee, told Rudaw that many have viewed violence against women as normal.
"But now violence against any female member of the family is a crime and the perpetrator will be punished," she said.
The legislation also stipulates that a special court be established for domestic violence cases. However, it will not be used in all cases.
"Sometimes a case is not worth referring to the court and in those situations we have a committee that will try to solve the dispute within the family," said Sleman.
Human rights organizations and the region's Ministry of Health report that approximately 40 percent of women are circumcised in Kurdistan, a figure that Sleman considered alarmingly high.
"Any family circumcising its [girls] or anyone performing the act will be punished," she said. "Sometimes medical workers perform circumcision. In such a case, their salaries will be suspended for three years or they will be fired."
Sleman said the law carries a tougher punishment for anyone circumcising a child under the age of four.
In addition to banning domestic violence and female circumcision, the new legislation considers the following acts as a crime: forceful marriage, preventing female education, hitting a child, nonconsensual divorce, offering of women to settle family feuds and female suicide, if the family is the cause.