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The purpose of this study is to assess the prevalence, drivers and manifestations of VAWG, to identify legal, institutional and service gaps and provide evidence-based recommendations for policymakers to formulate informed policies and targeted interventions to combat VAWG, and to civil society and international partners to foster the development of these policies and interventions. It contributes to the analytical and monitoring work of the Regional Observatory on Violence against Women and Girls (VAWG), hosted by EuroMed Feminist Initiative (EFI), by generating country-level evidence to support regional advocacy and policy dialogue. This study is supported by the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) as part of the programme “Strengthening Participation, Peaceful Coexistence and Equality in Iraq” (SPACE), funded by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ).

Violence against women and girls is a complex and deeply rooted issue influenced by social, cultural, legal, and political factors. The persistence of discriminatory laws and prevailing social norms continues to limit women’s rights and freedoms. Many forms of violence — including domestic violence, early and forced marriage, sexual harassment, and economic violence — are widespread and often go underreported. This policy brief aims to provide a comprehensive overview of the current situation of violence against women and girls in Iraq and the Kurdistan Region of Iraq (KR-I), highlighting the legal and policy frameworks, identifying existing gaps, and offering practical recommendations to strengthen prevention, protection, and response mechanisms. It draws on evidence from national data, civil society reports, and international standards to support decision-makers and stakeholders in promoting equality and combating violence.

This fact sheet presents key findings from the 2025 National Assessment on VAWG in Iraq and the KR-I, conducted by the Regional Observatory on VAWG at EuroMed Feminist Initiative. It highlights the prevalence, drivers, and forms of violence; access to services; legal and policy frameworks; and provides evidence-based recommendations to support national strategies for prevention, protection, and response.

This report provides a comprehensive regional assessment of laws, policies, and services addressing violence against women and girls (VAWG) across nine countries in the Middle East and North Africa. Using the Regional Index on VAWG as a monitoring and analytical tool, the report measures progress and main gaps across seven key categories: legal frameworks, institutional procedures, State-funded services, data systems, preventive programmes, professional capacity of first responders, and national and regional coordination mechanisms. The report aims to support evidence-based policymaking, strengthen accountability, and guide reform and cooperation efforts to eliminate all forms of VAWG. The national reports on 2024 Regional Index on VAWG of Algeria, Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon, Morocco, Palestine, Syria and Tunisia are available on the Regional Observatory on VAWG. The Regional Observatory on VAWG is hosted by EuroMed Feminist Initiative in is regional office in Amman.

In 2019, EuroMed Feminist Initiative (EFI) established the Regional Civil Society Observatory (RCSO) in the frame of the regional project “Combating Violence against Women in the Southern Mediterranean Region” (2019- 2021), funded by the European Union. The RCSO is hosted at EFI Amman regional office as a civil society mechanism to follow up on the implementation of the Ministerial Declaration of the 4th Union for Mediterranean (UfM) Ministerial Conference on Strengthening the Role of Women in Society (November 27th 2017, Cairo), in the area of combating all forms of Violence against Women and Girls (VAWG), implementation of Women, Peace, Security Agenda (WPSA), and Preventing Violent Extremism (PVE).

The 2021 Regional Index on Violence against Women and Girls (VAWG) was launched during the two-day conference organised by EuroMed Feminist Initiative in partnership with Jordan Inter- Ministerial Committee for Women ́s Empowerment, in the frame of the EU funded regional program “Combating VAWG in the South Mediterranean”.

In 2019, EuroMed Feminist Initiative (EFI) established the Regional Civil Society Observatory (RCSO) in the frame of the regional project “Combating Violence against Women in the Southern Mediterranean Region” (2019- 2021), funded by the European Union. The RCSO is hosted at EFI Amman regional office as a civil society mechanism to follow up on the implementation of the Ministerial Declaration of the 4th Union for Mediterranean (UfM) Ministerial Conference on Strengthening the Role of Women in Society (November 27th 2017, Cairo), in the area of combating all forms of Violence against Women and Girls (VAWG), implementation of Women, Peace, Security Agenda (WPSA), and Preventing Violent Extremism (PVE).

In the frame of the project “Combating Violence against Women in the Southern Mediterranean Region”, funded by the European Union, the EuroMed Feminist Initiative (EFI) organized on 17 June 2019 in Beirut, Lebanon, a regional experts roundtable “Combating Discrimination Against Women in Legislation”. The roundtable gathered 26 legal and gender experts and researchers from Algeria, Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, Morocco, Palestine, Syria, Tunisia, France and, Sweden, as well as representatives from the Office of the Minister of State for Economic Empowerment of Women and Youth (EEWAY) and the EU Delegation to Lebanon.

One hundred and fifty-four participants from eighty-seven civil society organisations, together with decision makers, ministerial representatives, legal and gender experts, as well as media from twelve countries from the South Mediterranean gathered on 10-11 December in Tunis for the Regional Forum on Combating Discrimination in Legislation held in the frame of the Regional Campaign on Zero Tolerance for Violence Against Women and Girls, funded by the European Union.

As part of the Regional Campaign on Zero Tolerance for Violence Against Women and Girls, funded by the European Union. The Palestinian Working Woman Society for Development (PWWSD), Palestinian Federation of Women’s Action Committee (PFWAC), the Palestinian Non-Governmental Organization Against Violence Against Women (Al Muntada) and EuroMed Feminist Initiative held a National Consultation on Developing Regional Guidelines for Women, Peace and Security Agenda on November 10th in Ramallah, Palestine. The consultation aimed at fostering a common understanding of Women, Peace and Security (WPS) Agenda and developing guidelines for the implementation of the agenda on national and regional levels.

The purpose of this study is to assess the prevalence, drivers and manifestations of VAWG, to identify legal, institutional and service gaps and provide evidence-based recommendations for policymakers to formulate informed policies and targeted interventions to combat VAWG, and to civil society and international partners to foster the development of these policies and interventions. It contributes to the analytical and monitoring work of the Regional Observatory on Violence against Women and Girls (VAWG), hosted by EuroMed Feminist Initiative (EFI), by generating country-level evidence to support regional advocacy and policy dialogue. This study is supported by the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) as part of the programme “Strengthening Participation, Peaceful Coexistence and Equality in Iraq” (SPACE), funded by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ).

Violence against women and girls is a complex and deeply rooted issue influenced by social, cultural, legal, and political factors. The persistence of discriminatory laws and prevailing social norms continues to limit women’s rights and freedoms. Many forms of violence — including domestic violence, early and forced marriage, sexual harassment, and economic violence — are widespread and often go underreported. This policy brief aims to provide a comprehensive overview of the current situation of violence against women and girls in Iraq and the Kurdistan Region of Iraq (KR-I), highlighting the legal and policy frameworks, identifying existing gaps, and offering practical recommendations to strengthen prevention, protection, and response mechanisms. It draws on evidence from national data, civil society reports, and international standards to support decision-makers and stakeholders in promoting equality and combating violence.

This fact sheet presents key findings from the 2025 National Assessment on VAWG in Iraq and the KR-I, conducted by the Regional Observatory on VAWG at EuroMed Feminist Initiative. It highlights the prevalence, drivers, and forms of violence; access to services; legal and policy frameworks; and provides evidence-based recommendations to support national strategies for prevention, protection, and response.

This report provides a comprehensive regional assessment of laws, policies, and services addressing violence against women and girls (VAWG) across nine countries in the Middle East and North Africa. Using the Regional Index on VAWG as a monitoring and analytical tool, the report measures progress and main gaps across seven key categories: legal frameworks, institutional procedures, State-funded services, data systems, preventive programmes, professional capacity of first responders, and national and regional coordination mechanisms. The report aims to support evidence-based policymaking, strengthen accountability, and guide reform and cooperation efforts to eliminate all forms of VAWG. The national reports on 2024 Regional Index on VAWG of Algeria, Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon, Morocco, Palestine, Syria and Tunisia are available on the Regional Observatory on VAWG. The Regional Observatory on VAWG is hosted by EuroMed Feminist Initiative in is regional office in Amman.

This directory lists all the helpful services, aids, and safe spaces accessible to victims of Violence Against Women and Girls across Jordan.

The Regional Forum, organized in partnership with Jordan Ministry of Education aimed at sharing experiences and discussing strategies to achieve more equality in and through education in the region. The Forum also provided unique opportunities for teachers from the pilot schools to come together and exchange lessons learnt so that best practices can be scaled up at national level.