One in five women in Iraq aged 15-49 experienced physical violence at the hands of their husbands. 14% of women who suffered physical violence were pregnant at the time. 33% have suffered emotional violence including insults, threats and public humiliation and 83% have been subjected to controlling behaviour by husbands including limiting access to medical care.
"With this partnership with UNDP and other donors like Denmark we hope we will be able to make a difference in the lives of survivors of gender based violence in Iraq" said EgilThorsas, Deputy Head of the Norwegian Embassy in Baghdad.
UNDP established its Family Support, Justice and Security Programme in 2010 in partnership with the Government of Iraq and various civil society groups. Based on the model of a similar programme in Jordan, it aims to offer survivors of domestic and gender based violence both refuge and support. The project enhances the capacity of institutions to establish family protection centres to improve law enforcement and increase access to justice.
"We are extremely grateful to the Norwegian Government for their support to this important project said Peter Batchelor, Country Director of UNDP Iraq. "With this contribution, more women and children survivors of violence will have increased access to legal justice, and the necessary support they need to integrate back into their communities and continue living a normal life" he added.