A visit to the directorate of protecting families and children against domestic violence
Tammuz organization for social development participated in the Iraqi women network delegation in a visit to the vice-ministry of police affairs in the ministry of interior/ directorate of protecting families and children from domestic violence. The visit took place on Thursday 20/12/2018. The delegation was received by General Ali Muhammed Salem who welcomed the delegation.
Ms. Amal Kabbashi, the coordinator of the network showed her gratitude for gaining the approval to hold meetings between governmental institutions and civil society organizations to strengthen bonds and review the most important problems and worries placed upon Iraqi families , especially with regard to the spread of domestic violence and illegal practices against women and children in the absence of a real law that incriminates the abusers, therefore, the network had played an important role to exert pressure in the direction of the legislation of combatting domestic-violence law, which was not submitted before the parliament in the previous parliamentary cycle, but there is an ongoing process and efforts continue to be made to have it passed in the current parliamentary cycle.
During the definition, the organizations reviewed their work in the field of protection of families and children from domestic violence by focusing on the issue of displaced persons and families affected by terrorism for the post-ISIS period, and the suffering of these families from marginalization and loss of dignity by raising several issues, like affiliation for children born after 2014 and depriving this large segment of the right to education and reintegration again, in addition to what the girls suffer in these families by keeping them in camps for the purpose of supporting their families, and to work on visits to these families and planning to open small projects for them, to provide them with sources of income.
Another issue was the lack of shelters for displaced women in all governorates of Iraq, making it difficult to help this large segment of women.
The representative of Tammuz also reviewed the organization’s efforts to help internally displaced persons in general and women in particular by issuing IDs to displaced persons who lost their belongings during the period of displacement (marriage registrations, guardianship affidavits, inheritance, unified national cards, nationality certificates, death certificates, birth certificates, Housing cards, ration cards, promotion of compensation transactions for terrorist damage afflicted upon the displaced).
The organization has also played an important role in monitoring cases of gender-based violence. Cases have been dealt with as possible through psychological and legal support, in addition to frequent visits to IDP camps, the use of some occasions to celebrate with them, the distribution of gifts and some essential needs.
The general also praised the efforts of the organizations to provide services in this field. The general talked about his visits to the camps, reporting on these field visits, and working to provide the required assistance, as well as the failure of the Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs to open shelters for women.
He also reviewed the most important obstacles facing them in terms of lack of training, holding training sessions, for members from all governorates, in the province of Baghdad exclusively, making it difficult to attend and transport especially for women, the frequent movement of associates after having them prepared and made as effective staffs.
Both sides emphasized that there is a clear weakness by the media to shed light on the issue of protecting the family and children from domestic violence, and this should also be done in the coming period.
The coordinator of the Iraqi women’s network also invited the general to attend an expanded meeting with a wider number of members of the network, through which they will discuss and discuss ways to get out of this bitter reality that affects the stability and dignity of the Iraqi family, which in turn reflects on the reality of society in general.
At the end of the meeting, the General welcomed all the proposals and expressed his full readiness to provide any assistance needed by the network in the goal of establishing effective laws to serve the Iraqi family.
Media office
Tammuz Organization for Social development
20th December 2018
