According to South Kurdistan Organisation for the Elimination of Violence Against Women, at least 35 women were murdered in the first 9 months of 2019. 57 women committed suicide and 207 others immolated themselves. A balance sheet for the entire year is not available yet.
The latest news of woman murder came from the capital Hewler (Erbil) city. According to local media reports of December 28, a woman was killed by her husband with gunfire in the town of Rizgari in Xebat district. The man was arrested and an investigation launched into the incident.
The month of May was particularly tragic for women. In 10 days alone, four girls under 16 of age suspiciously took their own lives in Duhok, Hewler, Raperin, Shengal, Diyala and Kirkuk.
In addition, dozens of women subjected to violence applied to shelters. According to the figures of the General Directorate of Social Affairs in Sulaymaniyah, 191 women with 45 children were accepted to the Women’s Shelter in Sulaymaniyah in the first 11 months of the year. While 166 of these women had their problems resolved, 25 remain in the shelter.
