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November 13, 2008
News
Bloody year for Kirkuki women
Rudaw - By Kermanj Kirkuki
Shler, 30, has had a lot of suitors rejected by her brothers, because her family is wealthy and they want a wealthy husband for her.
Shler is from Rahimawa neighborhood in Kirkuk. After her brothers reject many suitors, she flees her home with the hope of taking refuge in an organization that protects woman right. But Shler is shocked when the head of the center tells her “go back to your home, we don’t want any troubles.”
Shler is an example of those Kirkuki women, which are under daily threats from their families.
After staying at that centre for two days, she was forced to go back to her home.
Under the name of honor protection, hundreds of woman faces daily violence and threats.
With the rise of violence against woman in Kirkuk, the numbers of woman rights organizations rise as well. But the victims accuse those organizations of not doing enough to help the women in need. Those organizations reject such accusations.
Zhyan Hussein Aref, the head of Pana Centre in Kirkuk, said their centre is working very hard to stop violence against woman in Kirkuk, “those shelters are specifically made for women, who are threatened and escape their homes,” she said.
It’s been a bloody year for Kirkuki women in terms of violence against them. Three months ago in Dubez, south of Kirkuk, a man killed his two daughters, by pouring bowled oil on them and then shooting them.
According to a statistic from Azadi Hospital in Kirkuk City, since the start of Iraq war in 2003, some 108 women have been killed. In the last 10 months about 25 women have become victims of violence.
Khdija Hussein, the head of Khor centre for protecting woman’s rights, said that she believes the increase of violence against woman in Kirkuk is that reflection of the low level of education among the society. She also said that many women are not aware of the organizations that advocate for women rights, “Our main problem in Kirkuk is we have a closed society, and we still have to fully understand the meaning of freedom and democracy. This is the reason that we can’t solve the problems,” she said.
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