“A stable Iraq requires the full participation of women in Iraqi society, but displaced women will not return home if they believe their lives will be put at risk by doing so…” Melanie Teff, Refugee International, July 15, 2009
Video: Women are weapon of war
Since the United States of America invaded Iraq in 2003, over 4 millions Iraqis have been forced to flee, including 2.8 million internally displacements persons in 2008. The Internal Displacement Monitoring Group reports that these IDPs are distributed throughout the country, however there appears to be a high number of IDPs in the central provinces (1.1 million) and northern and southern regions (800,000). Major reasons why Iraqis are displaced, IDMC suggests, are 1) military operations, 2) generalized violence, 3) policies of former government of Saddam Hussein, including arabization” of Kudish areas, 4) destruction of marshlands in southern Iraq, and 5) repression of political opposition.
Women make-up a significant amount of Iraqi displaced peoples. According to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), 49 per cent all IDPs in Iraq are women. Refugee International (RI) July 15, 2009 report argues that uprooted Iraqi women are increasingly susceptible to exploitation and abuse because of extreme financial pressures. The report states that domestic violence are higher among displaced population in northern Iraq and that displaced women are more vulnerable to forced early marriages, prostitution, and trafficking. Returning home, as one of UNHCR proposed “solution” to forced displacement is not currently an option for most displaced Iraqi women for several reasons.
Despite relative peace, improved security and tough camp living characterized with continuing uncertainties, Iraqi women are refusing to return home because their rights are somehow jeopardized. IRIN confirms that, “Iraqi women will resist returning home, even if conditions improve in Iraq, if there is no focus on securing their rights as women and assuring their personal security and their families’ well-being.” For example, an assessment carried out by the International Organization for Migration (IOM) in February 2009, confirms that 81 per cent of the 1.6 million post-Samarra IDPs cited food, clean water, sanitation, electricity, access to employment, health care as priority needs. Further, approximately 297, 000 returnees also faced harsh conditions of damaged property, infrastructure and loss of livelihood, reports IOM.
Violence against women is of utmost concern as honor killings, burning and other attacks on women are on the rise, RI reports. The Kurdish Regional Government (KRG), unlike the Government of Iraq, has suspended laws to reduce “honor” crimes and has increased penalties. The RI Field Report confirms that, high levels of chronic disease, complicated by the psycho-social stress of war and displacement is common among many Iraqis. Displaced women reportedly are disproportionately affected by the national government’s inability to distribute medical resources to the region. Similarly, education for displaced children, are extremely difficult as Arabic-language schools were already over-crowded before the displacement problem.
With these and more complicated situation for Iraqi women, RI recommends greater financial support for Iraqi displaced people and development of stronger laws enforcement and judicial structures in Iraq to limit violence against women.
REFERENCES
http://www.brookings.edu/~/media/Files/rc/papers/2009/0702_iraqi_displacement_ferris/0702_iraqi_displacement_ferris.pdf
http://www.irinnews.org/report.aspx?ReportId=85362
http://www.refugeesinternational.org/sites/default/files/071509_iraq_womensrights_0.pdf
http://www.internal-displacement.org/8025708F004BE3B1/%28httpInfoFiles%29/7CC8ADC4D8E2DF8CC12575A60052DB24/$file/GO_08_iraq.pdf
http://www.internal-displacement.org/8025708F004BE3B1/%28httpInfoFiles%29/7CC8ADC4D8E2DF8CC12575A60052DB24/$file/GO_08_iraq.pdf
http://www.iom.int/jahia/Jahia/pbnAF/cache/offonce?entryId=22764
http://www.refugeesinternational.org/press-room/press-release/displaced-iraqi-women-increasingly-vulnerable-exploitation-and-abuse
Compiled by Veronica Fynn
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