IRAQ: Displaced Iraqi Women Increasingly Vulnerable to Exploitation and Abuse

Iraqi women who have been uprooted by violence in their country are increasingly susceptible to exploitation and abuse because of extreme financial pressures, a new field report from Refugees International (RI) described today. The report states that domestic violence among Iraqi refugees is increasing in Syria, and that reports of domestic violence are higher among the displaced population in northern Iraq. Displaced women are also more vulnerable to forced early marriages, “temporary marriages,” prostitution, trafficking, and domestic violence. Because returning home is not currently an option for the vast majority of these women, RI is calling for greater financial support for Iraqi refugee families and internally displaced people, and stronger laws and police and judicial structures in Iraq to limit violence against women.

“As the Iraqi refugee crisis continues, the stresses of living in exile are taking an enormous toll on Iraqi women inside and outside the country,” said Melanie Teff of Refugees International. “Many displaced women are left with few options to earn an income and are doing anything they can to survive. Increases in international funding for basic assistance and skills training programs would go a long way towards protecting these women from exploitation and abuse.”

Despite the difficult conditions they face, every woman interviewed by Refugees International in Syria and northern Iraq said they were unwilling to return home. Many who had been widowed had no means to earn an income if they returned, as few women possess the skills now needed to support their families. Others feared attacks by militants or so-called “honor killings” by their own family members. The Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) has made some efforts to support women at risk of serious violence, and has even improved laws related to violence against women. But serious shortcomings in carrying out these steps must be addressed by donor technical assistance and support for KRG ministries, shelter providers, and local non-governmental organizations that are trying to respond to violence against women.

In contrast, the Government of Iraq has not reformed laws that reduce punishments for so-called “honor killings,” or murders by family members, because the women refused marriages, divorced their husbands or were accused of prostitution. Refugees International urges the U.S. and UN to work with the Iraqi government to reform these laws and publicly indicate its support for women's rights.

“A stable Iraq requires the full participation of women in Iraqi society, but displaced women will not return home if they believe their lives will be put at risk by doing so,” continued Ms. Teff. “The displaced women I spoke to insist that they will only return when they know that they and their families will be safe, that they will be able to survive economically and that their basic rights as women will be upheld. The stability of Iraq depends on respecting women's rights.”

Refugees International is a Washington, D.C.-based organization that advocates to end refugee crises. In June, RI staff traveled to northern Iraq and Syria where they interviewed displaced women, local organizations attempting to provide services for women, and international agencies. Since November 2006, the organization has conducted ten missions to the Middle East to assess the needs of displaced Iraqis. For more information, go to www.refugeesinternational.org.