Iraq
Iraq
Women are crucial allies to the efforts to eliminate extremism in Iraq. The Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) has contributed to a political landscape in Iraq historically characterized by sectarianism, ineffective judicial systems, high levels of government corruption, and high rates of violence against women, including sexual and gender-based violence. ISIL continues to use sexual and gender-based violence and rape as weapons of war— and targets women, particularly Yazidi women and other non-Shiite minorities, for sexual slavery among fighters.
Iraq acceded to the Convention on the Elimination of all Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) in 1986, launched the National Strategy on Combating Violence against Women in 2013, and launched its National Action Plan pursuant to Resolution 1325 in 2014. Iraq’s National Action Plan was the first launched in the Middle East. The Ministry of Women’s Affairs in Iraq has also developed a National Strategy for the Advancement of Iraqi Women, but due to the political climate it hasn’t been effectively implemented; similarly, laws banning forced and early marriages are rarely enforced.
Based on the work of NGOWG members and their partners, the NGOWG advocates for the Government of Iraq to clarify their shelter policies, in order to allow and support Iraqi NGOs in their efforts to operate shelters and provide much needed services to survivors of SGBV. Further, the NGOWG urges the Security Council to ensure that the United Nations Assistance Mission for Iraq (UNAMI) is regularly engaging with women’s organizations, and will continue to take concrete steps to support women’s participation in all peace and security processes.
Current and Past Recommendations to the UN Security Council (Monthly Action Points)
Iraq (November 2014)
As the Security Council continues to address the situation in Iraq, Council members should hold women’s human rights central in all discussion and actions. With nearly 5,000 civilians killed and, according to the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), over 850,000 persons displaced since January 2014, discussion should outline measures taken to prioritize the protection of civilians, with specific considerations for women and girls. The Council should ensure a gender lens is being applied to all humanitarian assistance and protection efforts. Additionally, the Council should request, and act on, information, analysis and recommendations addressing the challenges facing women in political processes; highlighting advances in ensuring participation of Iraqi women in national reconciliation and countering violent extremism efforts; and detailing any progress made to enhance Iraqi women’s access to justice. It is essential that discriminatory policies and practices are rescinded, and institutions are inclusive of all Iraqis, including women, in order to ensure a foundation for future sustainable peace. Furthermore, the Council should condemn the targeted killings of civilians including human rights defenders, journalists and female professionals and call for perpetrators to be brought to justice. In all counterterrorism efforts, gender must be mainstreamed, and all actions taken to prevent and respond to these threats should ensure women’s full and meaningful participation, as well as account for the need to better address the impact of violent extremism and terrorism on women and girls. Moreover, the Council should call for consultation with women leaders in civil society in order to integrate a gender lens that promotes the women, peace and security concerns reflective of the realities for Iraqi civilians. Finally, Council members should urge the Iraqi government to ensure women are fully incorporated into its national security strategy, and all policy frameworks are fully resourced.
Relevant Resources
