Under the patronage of Dr. Sameera Naji Khdim, Dean of the College of Science for Women, and in conjunction with the 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence campaign, the Women’s Affairs Unit organized an awareness workshop titled “Together for a Safe Society: Understanding Types of Violence and Ways to Address It,” presented by Assistant Professor Dr. Salah Khairi Jaber.
The workshop aimed to raise awareness about the concept of violence and its negative effects on women, both psychologically and physically, as well as the arbitrary deprivation of their freedom and rights to equality, security, and safety. The workshop addressed various types of violence, including physical violence by fathers, brothers, husbands, or even sometimes sons, as well as violence outside the home, such as harassment in public places, blackmail by employers, and direct violence through discriminatory laws and decisions. It also covered indirect violence, such as the dominance of ideas that allow tolerance toward violence against women in society. Moreover, psychological violence, such as insulting, marginalizing, mocking, and restricting women’s freedom and respect, was discussed.
The causes of violence were attributed to several factors, including the wrong perception of women’s competence and humanity, cultural ignorance, incorrect social traditions and customs, as well as political, economic, educational, and developmental decline. Despite the existence of deterrent laws in the Iraqi constitution, violence persists. The workshop proposed several solutions to combat violence against women, such as tightening penalties for perpetrators, establishing appropriate mechanisms for reporting violence and assault cases, and enacting a law to combat domestic violence that takes into account the Iraqi societal context.
