Home Reports Hundreds of thousands of Iraqi women face inequalities in Iraq

Hundreds of thousands of Iraqi women face inequalities in Iraq

Thousands of internally displaced Iraqi women who say they are facing discriminatory practices as Iraq seeks to recover from years of conflict.

Hundreds of thousands of Iraqi women who fled war and conflict are facing systemic inequalities in their fight to return to their homes, a rights report published Monday revealed about Iraq’s internally displaced population.

The Norwegian Refugee Council’s findings show that up to 11% of Iraq’s female internally displaced population are facing barriers that include the inability to access property, establish ownership and seek compensation for homes damaged during the war against the Islamic State.

According to the NRC, 9% of women surveyed in the provinces of Dohuk, Ninewa, Kirkuk and Anbar said their property was being occupied by relatives, local tribal leaders, militias and security forces, impeding their return.

The report, which was based on a survey of 1,002 people, found that even the slightest suspicion of IS affiliation had denied women the ability to prove property ownership, “even if they possess official documents,” the report said.

Measures imposed by the government to contain the spread of the novel Coronavirus, including shutting down courts and legal services, have also prevented internally displaced women from seeking legal recourse to solve ongoing property disputes, the report added.

At least 110 people have died among 2,818 confirmed cases of the virus, according to figures from the Iraqi Health Ministry.
Iraqi laws guarantee women’s property rights, but local traditions and tribal customs have put obstacles in the way of internally displaced women from realizing those rights, according to the report.