Iraqi activists are urging the government to pass legislation against gender-based violence, as current regulations are so weak that they allow many men to escape punishment.
The country has been rocked by a string of brutal murders, including the killing last week of a two-month-old girl by her father because of her gender.
Soon after, a woman was killed by her father for refusing to marry the man he had chosen for her.
“Violence against women and children is increasing and this is not a new phenomenon,” Suhalia Al Assam, a women's rights activist and member of the Iraqi Women's League, told The National.
“There are many cases that have not caught the attention of the public and they are crimes that must be stopped.
“The country does not have a specific law to tackle domestic abuse.”
Iraq's criminal code outlaws violence within the family but does not specify consequences for domestic abuse, nor does it stipulate penalties for perpetrators.
“There must be no impunity. We have been demanding this for over a decade and no action has been taken. Hundreds of women have lost their lives to this issue,” Ms Al Assam said.
A draft law on domestic violence was tabled and debated in the Iraqi parliament in 2019 and 2020 but has stalled since then.
“It is devastating to see a father who killed his baby daughter because she is a female, when in reality his mother, wife, sister are all women. We have been fighting to pass this law for years,” she said.
Activists across the country believe that there are “people who are against this law, especially lawmakers, who have been blocking this from happening so they can always have power over women”, she said.
The absence of clear legislation on domestic violence allows some to get away with murder, Inas Jabbar, a member of the Iraqi Women's League, told The National.
“Criminals in Iraq have a safe haven as there are no legal, societal or humanitarian obstacles to stop the perpetrators from committing such crimes,” Ms Jabbar said.
For years, UN agencies in Iraq have expressed their concern over the rising number of domestic violence cases, especially during the Covid-19 pandemic and the two years that followed.
The passing of the draft law will not only protect women but Iraqi society, Ms Jabbar said.
“Perpetrators must be held accountable so that these cases can be stopped,” Ms Al Assam said. She added that crimes against women must be a priority for Prime Minister Mohammed Al Sudani's government.
A delegation of the Iraqi women’s network visited the holy Shiite city of Najaf and discussed these issues with high-ranking religious officials this month.
“We urged them to issue a fatwa against acts that harm women and we demanded justice for those that were killed or are on the verge of losing their lives,” she said.
The delegation also held talks with the women and children’s committee in parliament.
“We wanted to highlight the voices of women in small towns and villages who are oppressed and have no voice to protect themselves,” she said.
The women's rights league believes that more must be done to create change.
“We are still waiting and we don’t think these visits and meetings are enough to stop these violent and abuse cases from happening all over the Iraqi society,” she said.
Women must also have access to essential services and protection, although much of these violent acts are suppressed due to social taboos.
A recent survey by the UN have found that about 75 per cent of Iraqi women would not report domestic violence as a crime.
As for Iraqi men, 85 per cent said they would stop female family members from reporting such crimes.
Learn more about Qasr Al Hosn
In 2013, The National's History Project went beyond the walls to see what life was like living in Abu Dhabi's fabled fort:
Email sent to Uber team from chief executive Dara Khosrowshahi
From: Dara
To: Team@
Date: March 25, 2019 at 11:45pm PT
Subj: Accelerating in the Middle East
Five years ago, Uber launched in the Middle East. It was the start of an incredible journey, with millions of riders and drivers finding new ways to move and work in a dynamic region that’s become so important to Uber. Now Pakistan is one of our fastest-growing markets in the world, women are driving with Uber across Saudi Arabia, and we chose Cairo to launch our first Uber Bus product late last year.
Today we are taking the next step in this journey—well, it’s more like a leap, and a big one: in a few minutes, we’ll announce that we’ve agreed to acquire Careem. Importantly, we intend to operate Careem independently, under the leadership of co-founder and current CEO Mudassir Sheikha. I’ve gotten to know both co-founders, Mudassir and Magnus Olsson, and what they have built is truly extraordinary. They are first-class entrepreneurs who share our platform vision and, like us, have launched a wide range of products—from digital payments to food delivery—to serve consumers.
I expect many of you will ask how we arrived at this structure, meaning allowing Careem to maintain an independent brand and operate separately. After careful consideration, we decided that this framework has the advantage of letting us build new products and try new ideas across not one, but two, strong brands, with strong operators within each. Over time, by integrating parts of our networks, we can operate more efficiently, achieve even lower wait times, expand new products like high-capacity vehicles and payments, and quicken the already remarkable pace of innovation in the region.
This acquisition is subject to regulatory approval in various countries, which we don’t expect before Q1 2020. Until then, nothing changes. And since both companies will continue to largely operate separately after the acquisition, very little will change in either teams’ day-to-day operations post-close. Today’s news is a testament to the incredible business our team has worked so hard to build.
It’s a great day for the Middle East, for the region’s thriving tech sector, for Careem, and for Uber.
Uber on,
Dara
The essentials
What: Emirates Airline Festival of Literature
When: Friday until March 9
Where: All main sessions are held in the InterContinental Dubai Festival City
Price: Sessions range from free entry to Dh125 tickets, with the exception of special events.
Hot Tip: If waiting for your book to be signed looks like it will be timeconsuming, ask the festival’s bookstore if they have pre-signed copies of the book you’re looking for. They should have a bunch from some of the festival’s biggest guest authors.
Information: www.emirateslitfest.com
Specs
Engine: Duel electric motors
Power: 659hp
Torque: 1075Nm
On sale: Available for pre-order now
Price: On request
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Tearful appearance
Chancellor Rachel Reeves set markets on edge as she appeared visibly distraught in parliament on Wednesday.
Legislative setbacks for the government have blown a new hole in the budgetary calculations at a time when the deficit is stubbornly large and the economy is struggling to grow.
She appeared with Keir Starmer on Thursday and the pair embraced, but he had failed to give her his backing as she cried a day earlier.
A spokesman said her upset demeanour was due to a personal matter.
ELIO
Starring: Yonas Kibreab, Zoe Saldana, Brad Garrett
Directors: Madeline Sharafian, Domee Shi, Adrian Molina
Rating: 4/5
More coverage from the Future Forum
Squads
India: Kohli (c), Rahul, Shaw, Agarwal, Pujara, Rahane, Vihari, Pant (wk), Ashwin, Jadeja, Kuldeep, Shami, Umesh, Siraj, Thakur
West Indies: Holder (c), Ambris, Bishoo, Brathwaite, Chase, Dowrich (wk), Gabriel, Hamilton, Hetmyer, Hope, Lewis, Paul, Powell, Roach, Warrican, Joseph
Sole survivors
- Cecelia Crocker was on board Northwest Airlines Flight 255 in 1987 when it crashed in Detroit, killing 154 people, including her parents and brother. The plane had hit a light pole on take off
- George Lamson Jr, from Minnesota, was on a Galaxy Airlines flight that crashed in Reno in 1985, killing 68 people. His entire seat was launched out of the plane
- Bahia Bakari, then 12, survived when a Yemenia Airways flight crashed near the Comoros in 2009, killing 152. She was found clinging to wreckage after floating in the ocean for 13 hours.
- Jim Polehinke was the co-pilot and sole survivor of a 2006 Comair flight that crashed in Lexington, Kentucky, killing 49.
The biog
Favourite film: The Notebook
Favourite book: What I know for sure by Oprah Winfrey
Favourite quote: “Social equality is the only basis of human happiness” Nelson Madela. Hometown: Emmen, The Netherlands
Favourite activities: Walking on the beach, eating at restaurants and spending time with friends
Job: Founder and Managing Director of Mawaheb from Beautiful Peopl
Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
