Sexual and gender-based violence continues at “alarming rates” in Iraq

Suzan Aref, the coordinator of Iraq Cross Sector Task Force told the UN Security Council today (8 August 2018) that sexual and gender-based violence continues at “alarming rates” in Iraq.
She said “women and girls who have been living in areas under ISIS control have been exposed to the most extreme forms of violence as a way to subjugate the whole community.”
The Coordinator also highlighted that women’s security and rights are tightly linked to their participation and role in decision-making. She said “in spite of a 25 per cent quota in the parliament and public institutions, women remain under-represented or absent in decision-making, including political parties, as there is a general lack of acceptance of the importance of women’s role in decision-making.”
On urgent security priorities that require Security Council’s attention, Aref reiterated “women, including those that are refugees, IDPs and in host communities, must have access to empowerment programs and work opportunities, such as vocational trainings, and literacy programs to erase illiteracy, keeping in mind the double burden and social stigma they carry.”
Screenshot Credit: UN Photo/Rick Bajornas