Attachments
Introduction
Iraq is a diverse country with a population made up of various ethnic and religious groups and gender norms often vary across communities. Comprised of 19 governorates, Iraq also has an autonomous region (the Kurdistan Region of Iraq) in the northern part of the country1. The total population is 39,307,7833 out of which 891,811(50.6%) are male and 19,417.792(49.4%) are female. The average household is composed of 7.74 members. The situation in Iraq remains unstable with widespread humanitarian concerns. Years of conflict uprooted millions of people, eroded social cohesion, disrupted access to basic services, destroyed livelihoods and led to increased protection risks. The impact of the conflict continues to affect the physical and mental well-being, living standards, and capacity for resilience and recovery of millions of Iraqis.
According to the UNDP Gender Inequality Index, in 2020, Iraq ranked 123 out of 160 countries. Gender-Based Violence (GBV) in Iraq is widespread and reported in camps and in out-of-camp settings. According to GBV IMS data, nearly 1.3 million people are at risk of GBV, of which 61 per cent are in areas of return and 38 per cent in areas of displacement, and 1per cent within the host community. Threats faced by these communities includes domestic violence, sexual violence, exploitation and abuse (including by security actors and humanitarians), forced marriage, including child marriage, and denial of resources to (especially female headed). Limited economic opportunities and gaps in assistance lead to negative coping strategies including forced and child marriage and survival sex4.
According to GBV IMS data, 98 per cent of GBV survivors who reported GBV are women or girls. Domestic violence is the main gender-based violence context for reported incidents, followed by forced/child marriage.
About 90 per cent of female-headed households in-camp reported monthly income of less than 480,000 IQD. compared to the average 85 per across all households in camps. Specifically, women are more likely to be financially vulnerable with less savings and higher debts, putting them at high risk of engaging in negative coping strategies and exploitation. Increased household needs put women’s health and nutrition at risk, as they prioritize their family’s survival and basic household needs over their own. Additionally, women (particularly those who are divorced or widowed) encounter logistical and security constraints accessing food due to social norms preventing their mobility and increased risks of GBV when travelling. Furthermore, Women Headed Households with perceived affiliation to ISIL are bearing the brunt of the crisis and denied access to essential services and resources.