‘A joint and organized struggle should be carried out against femicide’
Freedom Movement Board member Ronak Mecîd stated that women should carry out a joint and organized struggle in 2023 against all problems, particularly against the increasing femicide rate in the region.
ŞÎNYAR BAYÎZ
Sulaymaniyah- Iraq and the Kurdistan Region have been suffering from political, economic and social crises in 2022. Ronak Mecîd, Board member of the Freedom Movement (Kurdish: Tevgera Azadî) noted that they would make great efforts to end the increasing femicide and gender-based violence in the region. “Women should carry out a joint and organized struggle to end femicide and gender-based violence,” she said.
‘Women pay the heaviest price of all crises’
Speaking about how 2022 was for women in the Kurdistan Region, she said, “2022 was a very bad year for Iraq. The political crises in the region directly affected Iraq. And the problems in Iraq directly affected Bashur Kurdistan (Southern Kurdistan). Iraqi laws and constitution bind to Bashur Kurdistan. The process of forming a new government and the dissolution of the parliament affected Bashur Kurdistan as much as Iraq. These developments in Iraq cause social, political and economic crises and women pay the heaviest price of all crises.”
The femicide and violence against women cases increase in 2022
Pointing out that the rates of femicide and violence against women cases have increased in the Kurdistan Region in 2022, Ronak Mecîd said, “In Bashur Kurdistan, women have been waging a great resistance against the Iraqi Baathist regime. However, the role of women in social, economic and political areas weakened after 2003. The enemy has used many special warfare methods in four parts of Kurdistan, particularly in Bashur Kurdistan. All people of the region have been badly affected by these methods. The forces of capitalist modernity seek to maintain their methods. The ongoing situation, of course, affects women.”
‘The constitution must be amended in favor of women’
“The Iraqi constitution does not guarantee women's rights”, Ronak Mecîd said, “Women’s struggle must be strengthened to put pressure on the parliament in order to amend the Iraqi constitution in favor of women.”
She added, “The Kurdistan Regional Government has a patriarchal mentality. The political, economic and social crises increase violence against women even more. Women’s organizations must be more organized to end violence against women and femicide. Women should carry out a joint and organized struggle in 2023 to combat violence against women and femicide.”