The Kurdistan Region of Iraq’s (KR-I) authorities are failing to ensure that perpetrators of domestic violence, including harrowing cases of murder, rape, beatings and burning, are held to account, and they are imposing arbitrary restrictions on the freedoms of survivors who seek protection in the shelter system. Despite some positive legislative steps taken in the KR-I to combat domestic violence, in practice, survivors face significant obstacles in accessing protection and justice in the KR-I. The report finds a lack of political will on the part of the authorities to prosecute perpetrators of domestic violence or to offer meaningful support to women and girls who turn to the state for protection.
