Follow up Meeting on the implementation of the 2024 Regional Index on Violence against Women and Girls

The follow-up meeting on the implementation of the 2024 Regional Index on Violence against Women and Girls (VAWG) took place on 14 January 2026 at the General Directorate for Combating Violence against Women and the Family at the Ministry of Interior of the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) in Erbil.

The Regional Index on VAWG, established in 2020, was reviewed and updated during the Regional Experts Roundtable held in November 2024 in Baghdad, in light of recent developments and emerging forms of violence against women and girls, as well as its expansion to nine countries, including Iraq and Syria.

Following the scoring process in Iraq and the Kurdistan Region of Iraq (KR-I), national report was developed and evaluated, and the findings were presented at a regional conference held in September 2025, with the participation of all Index countries.

In the KR-I, several ministries and institutions contributed to the preparation of the KR-I report, including the Ministries of Interior, Health, Education, Labour and Social Affairs, and Planning, in addition to the Judicial Council. The report highlights key achievements, identifies existing challenges, and provides recommendations to support the development of policies and programmes aimed at preventing and combating violence against women and girls, as well as strengthening protection services for survivors.

The meeting aimed to review the actions taken by stakeholders and civil society following the adoption of the report, discuss the main gaps and recommendations across the key sectors of the Index, and identify the necessary follow-up steps at both national and regional levels in preparation for the next scoring cycle in 2027.