News Center- The General Directorate for Combating Violence against Women in the Kurdistan Regional has attempted to prevent the release of figures on violence against women and femicide cases. Despite this attempt, news outlets and women’s organizations collect data on violence against women and femicide cases in the region.

According to the report of Rojnews, at least 54 women were killed or died under suspicious circumstances from January 2, 2022 to December 28, 2022. According to the 2021 figures released by the General Directorate for Combating Violence against Women, 24 women were killed by men in 12 months.

According to the  report released by the Harikari organization, a NGO based in the Kurdistan Region, on June 26, 2021, the cases of domestic violence increased in the first six months of 2021; 29 women were burned to death, 31 women died under suspicious circumstances and 22 women were killed in the name of “honor”.

The ministry tried to prevent the release of figures

On June 8, 2022, the Ministry of Endowment and Religious Affairs banned the publication of reports on femicide cases in a document it sent to all press outlets because such reports “negatively affects society”.