United Nations Radio

Violence against Iraqi women continues unabated, according to Yakin Ertürk, the United Nations expert on violence against women.

In a statement on the International Day on the Elimination of Violence against Women, she says that violence against Iraqi women is committed by numerous actors.

They include militia groups, insurgents, Islamic extremists, law enforcement personnel, members of the family as well as the community in general.

Ms. Ertürk says that women are victims of rape, sex trafficking, forced and early marriages, murder and abduction for sectarian or criminal reasons, and many of them are forced into prostitution.

The UN expert also points out that women fall victim to the disproportionate use of force by members of Iraqi and multi-national forces, including during raids on private homes.

Ms. Ertürk is also concerned about increasing violence within the family, including so-called honour killings which are committed with impunity.

To escape the cycle of violence, many Iraqi women turn to suicide, sending a clear message of despair to their society, the UN expert points out.

Diane Bailey, United Nations

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