Statement – An Urgent Call for Justice and Protection of Women and Girls in Iraq
Iraqi Civil Society Solidarity Initiative – ICSSI
May 15, 2026
The Iraqi Civil Society Solidarity Initiative (ICSSI) expresses its profound sorrow and deep concern over the escalating violence against women and girls in Iraq. The horrific crimes recently witnessed in Baghdad, including the murder of four-year-old Ghazal Saif after her abduction and sexual assault, and the killing of 15-year-old Kawthar Bashar Al-Hassijawi in Nahrawan for refusing a forced marriage, are not isolated incidents. Rather, they are dangerous indicators of a deep-seated societal and legal crisis that demands an immediate and decisive response at both national and international levels.
The cases of Ghazal and Kawthar highlight a widespread and alarming pattern of gender-based violence in Iraq, including sexual violence, forced marriage, domestic violence, and so-called “honor crimes.” These crimes are not merely individual incidents; they reflect critical gaps in protection, accountability, and access to justice systems. They underscore the continued normalization of violence and a culture of impunity. The persistent failure to seriously address this violence, coupled with weak enforcement of accountability measures and the existence of legal and social frameworks that justify discrimination or reduce penalties for perpetrators, creates an unsafe environment that threatens the lives, dignity, and security of women and girls in Iraq. This statement aims to transform these individual tragedies into an urgent societal issue that requires collective and immediate action.
The Initiative warns that any attempts to weaken the legal protection of women and girls, particularly through amendments and interpretations of personal status laws that might facilitate child marriage or normalize forced marriage practices, will have devastating consequences for girls’ safety, education, independence, physical and psychological health, and participation in public life. The continued failure to enact a comprehensive law for protection against domestic violence in Iraq has deepened existing protection gaps, leaving a large number of women and children without effective legal safeguards, protection mechanisms, or safe access to justice and support services.
In light of these horrific crimes and the painful reality, the Iraqi Civil Society Solidarity Initiative (ICSSI) urgently calls upon Iraqi authorities, the international community, and all stakeholders to take the following immediate and decisive actions:
- Conduct Comprehensive Investigations and Ensure Immediate Accountability: Guarantee urgent, transparent, and independent investigations into all crimes of violence against women and girls, and hold all perpetrators accountable without exception. This is crucial to end the culture of impunity in gender-based violence, sexual violence, domestic violence, forced marriage, and so-called “honor crimes”.
- Strengthen the Legal Framework for Protection: Reject all legal measures and amendments that permit, facilitate, or legitimize child marriage and forced marriage. Expedite the enactment of a comprehensive law for protection against domestic violence that ensures effective protection for women, girls, children, and survivors of violence.
- Build Integrated Support Systems: Enhance protection systems and ensure the provision of safe and accessible mechanisms for reporting, legal assistance, psychological and social support, shelters, and survivor-centered services.
- Review Discriminatory Policies: Review and amend legal texts and policies that contribute to discrimination against women and girls or allow the continuation of violence under social, cultural, or so-called “honor” pretexts.
Protecting women and girls is not a secondary social issue; it is a legal, ethical, and human rights responsibility that rests with the state, institutions, and society as a whole. Silence in the face of escalating violence only perpetuates injustice and places more women and children at risk.
Justice for Ghazal.
Justice for Kawthar.
Protection for every woman and girl.
