Women are the victims of violence and backward religious traditions in Iraq, and are in desperate need of shelter and protection from random acts of aggression. These women are subject to continuous threat of being:

• - killed by their husbands or male relatives (honor killings)
• - Burnt or mutilated for suspicion of shameful acts
• - publicly executed or shot by the police
• - kidnapped and secretly murdered
• - in state of despair and see no other way than to commit suicide

Consequently, millions of women undergo sexual discrimination encouraged by Islamist activists and Saddam’s regime that urge all “God Loving” men to oppress their women so as to abide by an Islamic submissive lifestyle that was created hundreds of years ago. This situation has been introduced and enhanced in the last decade, and does not allow women basic standards of human dignity. Other Reasons that result in the deterioration of social status of women in Iraq:

• - Hundreds of thousands of women were widowed by consecutive wars, and genocide executed by Saddam’s army
• - Economic sanctions spread out poverty to unthinkable extents where every widow finds herself responsible of a family with no sort of support or social insurance
• - Recent years changes in civil laws so as to allow honor killings and referral to backward and barbaric tribal law
• - Absence of supremacy of law, allowing Islamist misogynist practices which the ruling Baath party chose to apply by committing mass killings on women.

Local Women’s Movements

Independent Women’s organization (IWO) was formed on 8th of March 1992 in North of Iraq with the efforts of volunteering individuals. Since then, women sheltering services began to be provided. These include armed protection, safe dwelling and legal services.

IWO has proved to be the only organization to fully adopt a comprehensive campaign of advocating Iraqi women’s rights and for that had gained the support of local radical movements. IWO has extended its influence to international locations that attracted masses of Iraqi refugees. It is represented now in Canada, England and Australia. Their committee (DIWR) in Canada was founded on May 20, 1998 and has pursued investigating into the status of Iraqi women with a focus on Kurdistan of Iraq where the absence of supremacy of law resulted in giving way to ancient tribal practices against women encouraged by recent Islamist influences.