While efforts to end violence against women were largely ignored and underfunded in past years, that's beginning to change.

A conference was held this month to start a 16-day campaign to end violence against women. The campaign is being led by the Prime Minister, Mohammed Shia Al-Sudani and was initiated by the Secretary General of the Council of Ministers, Hamid Naeem Al-Ghazi, who mentioned that combating violence against women is among the main priorities of the government.  The conference brought attention to the important role Iraqi women play in public life through government jobs, civil society, and human rights movements in preventing and ending violence against women and girls.

The conference called for laws to be passed, like the Anti-Domestic Violence Law, which was explained in the statement. In line with the Iraqi constitution and government plans, Al-Ghazi said that making the Second National Strategy for Iraqi Women (2023-2030) is an important step toward protecting women legally and socially.

About 1.3 million out of Iraq's 40 million people are at risk for different kinds of violence based on gender, and more than 75 percent of those people are women and girls. 77 percent of reported cases are related to domestic violence, but Iraqi experts on the ground say that many cases aren't reported because the people who did the harm aren't likely to be punished.

Stopping violence against women should be a top priority if we want to reach our long-term development goals. The campaign for ending violence against women plays a major role in helping raise awareness around not only the nation but also around the globe.

By: Baniz Wasman