Showing posts with label domestic violence. Show all posts
Showing posts with label domestic violence. Show all posts
Thursday, December 10, 2009
Morocco: New Bill Protecting Women from Abuse
Minister of Social Development Family and Solidarity Nouzha Skalli announced yesterday, during the conference on the elimination of violence against women, the presentation of the long awaited bill that criminalizes violence against women. Skalli announced that the bill would be given to the Secretary General of Government in order to launch the legislative process by end of December. A bill that criminalizes violence against women was previously introduced three years ago but was withdrawn from Parliament by Minister Skalli who considered its components insufficient to condemn or curb violence against women. Skalli worked closely with Women Rights NGOs and jurists to prepare the new bill as an amendment to the penal code.
Wednesday, November 25, 2009
Bahrain: Women still a target for brutality
By Mazen Mahdi, Foreign Correspondent
Bahraini female officers take part in yesterday's graduation ceremony at the UN House in Manama. Mazen Mahdi / The National
MANAMA // Mixed assessments about the extent of discrimination and violence against women in Bahrain were offered yesterday as the country marked the 10th anniversary of the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women.
“I’m optimistic about the prospects of addressing this issue across the Gulf states,” Dr Banna Bazaboun, the head of the Manama-based Batelco Care Centre for Family Violence Cases (BCCFVC) said following a graduation ceremony for a new police officers who had been trained with the United Nations’ help to deal with such cases.
“The efforts are no longer limited to the civil society, but they have expanded to encompass the government and official levels who are seeking to tackle this issue by improving their policing and court systems,” Dr Bazaboun said.
She added that across the Gulf serious efforts were being made to combat violence against women by taking preventive steps and raising awareness. She mentioned Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Qatar as places where significant progress has been made.
Her optimism was not shared by the Bahrain Human Rights Society (BHRS), which released its annual report yesterday, painting a much less hopeful picture of the situation in the country because of unfulfilled legislative commitments and continued reports of human trafficking.
The report criticized the government for not fulfilling its international commitments to treaties protecting women’s rights that it had ratified and for not allowing the human rights groups and civic organizations to play a bigger rule in drafting legislations and recommendations addressing women’s rights.
A study carried out by the Bahraini Supreme Council for Women (SCW) in 2006 found that violence against women was carried out mainly by their husbands (89.8 per cent), followed by their brothers (18.4 per cent fathers (16.2 per cent), strangers (6.8 per cent). Other relatives were responsible for the remaining violence perpetrated against Bahraini women, according to the study.
Women’s rights in the region have received renewed attention during the past three years, after several Gulf and Middle East countries – including Bahrain – were identified by the US state department’s annual human trafficking report as states that tolerate the practice.
The Bahraini government had rejected the claims, but has since embarked on legislative reforms, carried out law enforcement operations and taken part in joint civic and international efforts to address the issue of women’s rights.
The BHRS report welcomed the adoption of an anti-human trafficking law in Bahrain last year, but expressed reservations over the fact that the law did not call for compensation for the victims. It also said that trafficking in people was still taking place and that most of the victims were women from Asia, Eastern Europe, Africa and some Arab countries that were either contracted or misled into working in nightclubs and bars.
The BCCFVC, which opened in 2007, claims to be the first of its kind, a specialised centre in the Arab world to offer preventive and therapy services for victims of family violence. According to the centre’s figures, it has dealt with 6,016 cases in the past two years.
Dr Bazaboun said 10,045 people had so far benefited from the centre’s direct awareness seminars and services since they began operating at the centre, while it continues to carry out awareness campaigns in the media alongside its specialised training.
The UN secretary general, Ban Ki-moon, on Tuesday pushed the UN drive to combat violence against women even further by introducing a new initiative.
“Today I launched a Network of Men Leaders who will support the UNiTE [to End Violence Against Women] campaign and act as role models for men and boys everywhere. Members of the Network will work to raise public awareness, advocate for adequate laws, and meet with young men and boys,” Mr Ban said in New York.
He said that up to 70 per cent of women, at some point in their lifetime, experienced physical or sexual violence by men. Most suffered at the hands of their husbands, partners or someone they know.
“This means men have a crucial role to play in ending such violence as fathers, friends, decision makers, and community and opinion leaders,” he said.
Dr Bazaboun, who has carried out specialised training for police officers in Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Doha, as well as in Bahrain, also emphasised the importance of men participating in the training and awareness seminars, as they represented the other part of the equation in the cycle of violence.
“It is important to have men play a role in combating violence against women. Three quarters of our board is made up of men at the BCCFVC, and at the centre we train policemen and policewomen side by side because they whole society should be involved in this effort,” she said.
mmahdi@thenational.ae
Bahraini female officers take part in yesterday's graduation ceremony at the UN House in Manama. Mazen Mahdi / The National
MANAMA // Mixed assessments about the extent of discrimination and violence against women in Bahrain were offered yesterday as the country marked the 10th anniversary of the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women.
“I’m optimistic about the prospects of addressing this issue across the Gulf states,” Dr Banna Bazaboun, the head of the Manama-based Batelco Care Centre for Family Violence Cases (BCCFVC) said following a graduation ceremony for a new police officers who had been trained with the United Nations’ help to deal with such cases.
“The efforts are no longer limited to the civil society, but they have expanded to encompass the government and official levels who are seeking to tackle this issue by improving their policing and court systems,” Dr Bazaboun said.
She added that across the Gulf serious efforts were being made to combat violence against women by taking preventive steps and raising awareness. She mentioned Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Qatar as places where significant progress has been made.
Her optimism was not shared by the Bahrain Human Rights Society (BHRS), which released its annual report yesterday, painting a much less hopeful picture of the situation in the country because of unfulfilled legislative commitments and continued reports of human trafficking.
The report criticized the government for not fulfilling its international commitments to treaties protecting women’s rights that it had ratified and for not allowing the human rights groups and civic organizations to play a bigger rule in drafting legislations and recommendations addressing women’s rights.
A study carried out by the Bahraini Supreme Council for Women (SCW) in 2006 found that violence against women was carried out mainly by their husbands (89.8 per cent), followed by their brothers (18.4 per cent fathers (16.2 per cent), strangers (6.8 per cent). Other relatives were responsible for the remaining violence perpetrated against Bahraini women, according to the study.
Women’s rights in the region have received renewed attention during the past three years, after several Gulf and Middle East countries – including Bahrain – were identified by the US state department’s annual human trafficking report as states that tolerate the practice.
The Bahraini government had rejected the claims, but has since embarked on legislative reforms, carried out law enforcement operations and taken part in joint civic and international efforts to address the issue of women’s rights.
The BHRS report welcomed the adoption of an anti-human trafficking law in Bahrain last year, but expressed reservations over the fact that the law did not call for compensation for the victims. It also said that trafficking in people was still taking place and that most of the victims were women from Asia, Eastern Europe, Africa and some Arab countries that were either contracted or misled into working in nightclubs and bars.
The BCCFVC, which opened in 2007, claims to be the first of its kind, a specialised centre in the Arab world to offer preventive and therapy services for victims of family violence. According to the centre’s figures, it has dealt with 6,016 cases in the past two years.
Dr Bazaboun said 10,045 people had so far benefited from the centre’s direct awareness seminars and services since they began operating at the centre, while it continues to carry out awareness campaigns in the media alongside its specialised training.
The UN secretary general, Ban Ki-moon, on Tuesday pushed the UN drive to combat violence against women even further by introducing a new initiative.
“Today I launched a Network of Men Leaders who will support the UNiTE [to End Violence Against Women] campaign and act as role models for men and boys everywhere. Members of the Network will work to raise public awareness, advocate for adequate laws, and meet with young men and boys,” Mr Ban said in New York.
He said that up to 70 per cent of women, at some point in their lifetime, experienced physical or sexual violence by men. Most suffered at the hands of their husbands, partners or someone they know.
“This means men have a crucial role to play in ending such violence as fathers, friends, decision makers, and community and opinion leaders,” he said.
Dr Bazaboun, who has carried out specialised training for police officers in Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Doha, as well as in Bahrain, also emphasised the importance of men participating in the training and awareness seminars, as they represented the other part of the equation in the cycle of violence.
“It is important to have men play a role in combating violence against women. Three quarters of our board is made up of men at the BCCFVC, and at the centre we train policemen and policewomen side by side because they whole society should be involved in this effort,” she said.
mmahdi@thenational.ae
Sunday, November 8, 2009
UAE: Sheikha Fatima visits shelter for victims of human trafficking, donates AED 1 million
Abu Dhabi, 8 Nov. 2009 (WAM) - H.H. Sheikha Fatima bint Mubarak, Chairwoman of the General Women's Union and Supreme President of the Family Development Foundation today visited the centre for sheltering women and children who are victims of human trafficking which operates under the umbrella of the UAE Red Crescent Authority.
Sheikha Fatima donated AED 1 million to help the victims regain their normal lives.
Sheikha Fatima was received at the centre by Sara Shuhail, Executive Director of the centers and the women working there.
Sheikha Fatima, who was accompanied by Dr Maitha Al Shamsi, Minister of State, was briefed on the conditions of the victims. She talked to the victims and comforted them. She also reassured them that the centre was created to shelter and to protect them.
She reiterated UAE's rejection of such terrible crimes committed against innocent women and children and expressed support to all efforts to guarantee their financial and morale rights.
Sheikha Fatima toured the centre's different sections and praised the levels of services offered to the victims of human trafficking.
Sheikha Fatima donated AED 1 million to help the victims regain their normal lives.
Sheikha Fatima was received at the centre by Sara Shuhail, Executive Director of the centers and the women working there.
Sheikha Fatima, who was accompanied by Dr Maitha Al Shamsi, Minister of State, was briefed on the conditions of the victims. She talked to the victims and comforted them. She also reassured them that the centre was created to shelter and to protect them.
She reiterated UAE's rejection of such terrible crimes committed against innocent women and children and expressed support to all efforts to guarantee their financial and morale rights.
Sheikha Fatima toured the centre's different sections and praised the levels of services offered to the victims of human trafficking.
Tuesday, May 12, 2009
Saudi Arabia: Saudi judge says it's OK for men to beat wives
The Associated Press
By ABDULLAH SHIHRI – May 11, 2009
RIYADH, Saudi Arabia (AP) — A Saudi judge told a conference on domestic violence that a man has the right to slap a wife who spends money wastefully and said women were as much to blame as men for increased spousal abuse, a Saudi newspaper reported.
The remarks do not carry the weight of law, as they were made out of court. But such public pronouncements by Saudi judges — who are also Islamic clerics — are often widely respected.
A rights activist decried the remarks and said she and other campaigners viewed them as the latest setback in women's efforts to gain the right to vote, drive, freely participate in politics and be protected from violence. Activists have become more vocal in recent years in their criticism of cases involving women's rights, including what many see as the religious police's harsh enforcement of the segregation of sexes.
"If a person gives 1,200 Saudi riyals ($320) to his wife and she spends 900 riyals ($240) to purchase an abaya (head-to-toe robe) from a brand shop and if her husband slaps her on the face as a reaction to her action, she deserves that punishment," Judge Hamad Al-Razine was quoted as saying by the English-language Arab News newspaper on Sunday.
The comments at a recent conference were given as part of an explanation for an increase in domestic violence in the country. The judge said women were equally responsible for the increase, the newspaper quoted him as saying.
The paper did not say exactly when the conference was held. The judge could not be reached for comment on Monday.
Women in the audience loudly protested the judge's remarks, the newspaper said.
Saudi Arabia bars women from voting, except for chamber of commerce elections in two cities in recent years, and no woman can sit in the kingdom's Cabinet. Women also cannot drive or travel without permission from a male guardian.
Sohaila Zenelabideen Hammad, spokeswoman of the Saudi National Center for Human Rights, told the Associated Press on Monday that the judge's remarks are reason for concern for being "too extreme."
"It is not acceptable, it is even forbidden in Islam to beat a woman on her face. ... No matter what the woman does, the man has no right whatsoever and under any circumstances to beat his wife on the face," said Hammad, who was not at the conference.
"Regrettably, there is a common understanding in the Arab and Islamic world that man is the master who looks down on the woman and has the right to do whatever he wants to her. This is wrong," Hammad said.
She said she was to attend a meeting later Monday with members of UNICEF, the U.N. agency for children, to discuss the issue.
Associated Press Writer Omar Sinan contributed to this report from Cairo.
By ABDULLAH SHIHRI – May 11, 2009
RIYADH, Saudi Arabia (AP) — A Saudi judge told a conference on domestic violence that a man has the right to slap a wife who spends money wastefully and said women were as much to blame as men for increased spousal abuse, a Saudi newspaper reported.
The remarks do not carry the weight of law, as they were made out of court. But such public pronouncements by Saudi judges — who are also Islamic clerics — are often widely respected.
A rights activist decried the remarks and said she and other campaigners viewed them as the latest setback in women's efforts to gain the right to vote, drive, freely participate in politics and be protected from violence. Activists have become more vocal in recent years in their criticism of cases involving women's rights, including what many see as the religious police's harsh enforcement of the segregation of sexes.
"If a person gives 1,200 Saudi riyals ($320) to his wife and she spends 900 riyals ($240) to purchase an abaya (head-to-toe robe) from a brand shop and if her husband slaps her on the face as a reaction to her action, she deserves that punishment," Judge Hamad Al-Razine was quoted as saying by the English-language Arab News newspaper on Sunday.
The comments at a recent conference were given as part of an explanation for an increase in domestic violence in the country. The judge said women were equally responsible for the increase, the newspaper quoted him as saying.
The paper did not say exactly when the conference was held. The judge could not be reached for comment on Monday.
Women in the audience loudly protested the judge's remarks, the newspaper said.
Saudi Arabia bars women from voting, except for chamber of commerce elections in two cities in recent years, and no woman can sit in the kingdom's Cabinet. Women also cannot drive or travel without permission from a male guardian.
Sohaila Zenelabideen Hammad, spokeswoman of the Saudi National Center for Human Rights, told the Associated Press on Monday that the judge's remarks are reason for concern for being "too extreme."
"It is not acceptable, it is even forbidden in Islam to beat a woman on her face. ... No matter what the woman does, the man has no right whatsoever and under any circumstances to beat his wife on the face," said Hammad, who was not at the conference.
"Regrettably, there is a common understanding in the Arab and Islamic world that man is the master who looks down on the woman and has the right to do whatever he wants to her. This is wrong," Hammad said.
She said she was to attend a meeting later Monday with members of UNICEF, the U.N. agency for children, to discuss the issue.
Associated Press Writer Omar Sinan contributed to this report from Cairo.
Monday, May 11, 2009
Saudi Arabia: Saudi judge: It's OK to slap spendthrift wives
By Mohammed Jamjoom
CNN
(CNN) -- Husbands are allowed to slap their wives if they spend lavishly, a Saudi judge said recently during a seminar on domestic violence, Saudi media reported Sunday.
It is OK to slap Saudi women who spend too much, a judge has told an audience.
Arab News, a Saudi English-language daily newspaper based in Riyadh, reported that Judge Hamad Al-Razine said that "if a person gives SR 1,200 [$320] to his wife and she spends 900 riyals [$240] to purchase an abaya [the black cover that women in Saudi Arabia must wear] from a brand shop and if her husband slaps her on the face as a reaction to her action, she deserves that punishment."
Women in the audience immediately and loudly protested Al-Razine's statement, and were shocked to learn the remarks came from a judge, the newspaper reported.
Arab News reported that Al-Razine made his remark as he was attempting to explain why incidents of domestic violence had increased in Saudi Arabia. He said that women and men shared responsibility, but added that "nobody puts even a fraction of blame" on women, the newspaper said.
Al-Razine "also pointed out that women's indecent behavior and use of offensive words against their husbands were some of the reasons for domestic violence in the country," it added.
Domestic violence, which used to be a taboo subject in the conservative kingdom, has become a hot topic in recent years. Groups like the National Family Safety Program have campaigned to educate the public about the problem and help prevent domestic abuse.
Saudi women's rights activist Wajeha Al-Huwaider told CNN that Saudi women routinely face such attitudes.
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"This is how men in Saudi Arabia see women," she said in a telephone interview from the Saudi city of Dahran. "It's not something they read in a book or learned from a friend. They've been raised to see women this way, that they're less than a person."
Al-Huwaider added that "I'm not surprised to see a judge or a religious man saying that - they've been raised in the same culture - a culture that tells them it's ok to raise your hand to a woman that this works."
Another Saudi judge, in the city of Onaiza, was the source of a separate recent controversy: he twice denied a request from the mother of an 8-year-old girl that the girl be granted a divorce from her 47-year-old husband.
Last month, after human-groups condemned the union, the girl was granted the divorce.
CNN
(CNN) -- Husbands are allowed to slap their wives if they spend lavishly, a Saudi judge said recently during a seminar on domestic violence, Saudi media reported Sunday.
It is OK to slap Saudi women who spend too much, a judge has told an audience.
Arab News, a Saudi English-language daily newspaper based in Riyadh, reported that Judge Hamad Al-Razine said that "if a person gives SR 1,200 [$320] to his wife and she spends 900 riyals [$240] to purchase an abaya [the black cover that women in Saudi Arabia must wear] from a brand shop and if her husband slaps her on the face as a reaction to her action, she deserves that punishment."
Women in the audience immediately and loudly protested Al-Razine's statement, and were shocked to learn the remarks came from a judge, the newspaper reported.
Arab News reported that Al-Razine made his remark as he was attempting to explain why incidents of domestic violence had increased in Saudi Arabia. He said that women and men shared responsibility, but added that "nobody puts even a fraction of blame" on women, the newspaper said.
Al-Razine "also pointed out that women's indecent behavior and use of offensive words against their husbands were some of the reasons for domestic violence in the country," it added.
Domestic violence, which used to be a taboo subject in the conservative kingdom, has become a hot topic in recent years. Groups like the National Family Safety Program have campaigned to educate the public about the problem and help prevent domestic abuse.
Saudi women's rights activist Wajeha Al-Huwaider told CNN that Saudi women routinely face such attitudes.
Don't Miss
Report: Saudi girl granted divorce
"This is how men in Saudi Arabia see women," she said in a telephone interview from the Saudi city of Dahran. "It's not something they read in a book or learned from a friend. They've been raised to see women this way, that they're less than a person."
Al-Huwaider added that "I'm not surprised to see a judge or a religious man saying that - they've been raised in the same culture - a culture that tells them it's ok to raise your hand to a woman that this works."
Another Saudi judge, in the city of Onaiza, was the source of a separate recent controversy: he twice denied a request from the mother of an 8-year-old girl that the girl be granted a divorce from her 47-year-old husband.
Last month, after human-groups condemned the union, the girl was granted the divorce.
Friday, May 8, 2009
Tunisia: Tunisian First Lady says presidency of regional Organization will promote status of Arab women
Tunisia Online News
Tunis, May 7, 2009- In an interview to the Tunisian monthly opinion magazine “Roua”, Tunisia’s First Lady, Mrs Leila Ben Ali said that Tunisia’s presidency of the Arab Women Organization (AWO) for the next two years “will follow up on the implementation of the Organization’s mechanisms and programs so as to give Arab women larger opportunities and wider prospects for participation.”
Mrs Ben Ali, who will act as the Chairperson of the Organization for the next two years, as part of the Organization’s rotational leadership, vowed to promote the status of Arab women while “enhancing their role in building advanced Arab societies.”
Asked about the privileged status Tunisian women enjoy, Mrs Ben Ali said that “the achievements and gains accomplished by Tunisian women are a source of pride for all Tunisians”.
In Tunisia she added, “we longer speak of women’s liberation but of fully fledged partnership.” Tunisian women represent 30% of the working population and can be found in all professions she said, stressing the fact that women represent 33% of judges, 31% of lawyers, one third of university teachers, a quarter of the country’s journalists, two thirds of pharmacists. Moreover 99% of six year old girls attend school and over 59% are university students.
She also highlighted the fact that Tunisian women are also active in political life as they represent 23% of the Chamber of deputies, 19% of the Chamber of Advisors, 27, 6% in municipal councils, including the presence of 5 women as mayors. 20% of diplomatic positions are also held by women added Mrs Ben Ali, who pointed out that more than 10,000 businesswomen are running their own projects.
Stressing the role of civil society in further empowering women Mrs Ben Ali said that nearly 30 associations concerned with women’s affairs are active in Tunisia.
“The New Era has offered women the conditions propitious for a larger participation in all fields of development. Having accomplished significant gains, unprecedented in our cultural and geographic environment, Tunisian women are now a fundamental element in the building and growth of society”, she said.
The interview also focused on Mrs Ben Ali’s responsibilities in the social and humanitarian sectors, especially in her capacity as the president of the BASMA association for the promotion of employment among disabled people.
The Tunisian First Lady also told “Roua” that the media are called upon to adopt amore constructive role in reflecting the genuine role of women in life. She slammed a certain Arab press and television for giving “stereotyped images of women” which discard women’s political, economic, cultural and scientific roles. She said she was fully convinced that “the most pressing task is to continue to change mentalities and mindsets, as a prelude to changing the image of women in society”, in addition to the “responsibility incumbent upon Arab women themselves to change their own image”, she added.
To a question on the scourge of violence against women that plagues many Arab societies, the Tunisian First Lady stressed the importance “to enact tough and binding laws” to discourage such practises. She also insisted on the importance of the role of educational institutions in setting up programs “free from any ideology that belittles women and their status.”
Mrs Ben Ali noted that the education of children is a noble mission which should be carried out to the best of ones’ abilities, given the fact that the future of children is the future of humanity as a whole. Pointing out to the plight of Palestinian children, Mrs Ben Ali said that as a Chairperson of the Arab Women Organisation, she will set up new approaches and programs to promote the rights of Palestinian children.
Tunis, May 7, 2009- In an interview to the Tunisian monthly opinion magazine “Roua”, Tunisia’s First Lady, Mrs Leila Ben Ali said that Tunisia’s presidency of the Arab Women Organization (AWO) for the next two years “will follow up on the implementation of the Organization’s mechanisms and programs so as to give Arab women larger opportunities and wider prospects for participation.”
Mrs Ben Ali, who will act as the Chairperson of the Organization for the next two years, as part of the Organization’s rotational leadership, vowed to promote the status of Arab women while “enhancing their role in building advanced Arab societies.”
Asked about the privileged status Tunisian women enjoy, Mrs Ben Ali said that “the achievements and gains accomplished by Tunisian women are a source of pride for all Tunisians”.
In Tunisia she added, “we longer speak of women’s liberation but of fully fledged partnership.” Tunisian women represent 30% of the working population and can be found in all professions she said, stressing the fact that women represent 33% of judges, 31% of lawyers, one third of university teachers, a quarter of the country’s journalists, two thirds of pharmacists. Moreover 99% of six year old girls attend school and over 59% are university students.
She also highlighted the fact that Tunisian women are also active in political life as they represent 23% of the Chamber of deputies, 19% of the Chamber of Advisors, 27, 6% in municipal councils, including the presence of 5 women as mayors. 20% of diplomatic positions are also held by women added Mrs Ben Ali, who pointed out that more than 10,000 businesswomen are running their own projects.
Stressing the role of civil society in further empowering women Mrs Ben Ali said that nearly 30 associations concerned with women’s affairs are active in Tunisia.
“The New Era has offered women the conditions propitious for a larger participation in all fields of development. Having accomplished significant gains, unprecedented in our cultural and geographic environment, Tunisian women are now a fundamental element in the building and growth of society”, she said.
The interview also focused on Mrs Ben Ali’s responsibilities in the social and humanitarian sectors, especially in her capacity as the president of the BASMA association for the promotion of employment among disabled people.
The Tunisian First Lady also told “Roua” that the media are called upon to adopt amore constructive role in reflecting the genuine role of women in life. She slammed a certain Arab press and television for giving “stereotyped images of women” which discard women’s political, economic, cultural and scientific roles. She said she was fully convinced that “the most pressing task is to continue to change mentalities and mindsets, as a prelude to changing the image of women in society”, in addition to the “responsibility incumbent upon Arab women themselves to change their own image”, she added.
To a question on the scourge of violence against women that plagues many Arab societies, the Tunisian First Lady stressed the importance “to enact tough and binding laws” to discourage such practises. She also insisted on the importance of the role of educational institutions in setting up programs “free from any ideology that belittles women and their status.”
Mrs Ben Ali noted that the education of children is a noble mission which should be carried out to the best of ones’ abilities, given the fact that the future of children is the future of humanity as a whole. Pointing out to the plight of Palestinian children, Mrs Ben Ali said that as a Chairperson of the Arab Women Organisation, she will set up new approaches and programs to promote the rights of Palestinian children.
Mauritania: Religious Leaders call for Ending Corporal Punishment in Mauritania
UNICEF
By Christian Skoog and Brahim Ould Isselmou
ATAR, Mauritania, 6 May 2009 – In the first hour after his arrival at a mahadra (Koranic school) in Atar, Ahmed was beaten several times. Over the next four months, he suffered daily.
His ‘Cheikh’, or teacher, used many different tools to punish Ahmed and his friends. Some of the boys who are considered troublemakers were tied up to the trunks of trees and left outside for hours, suffering from the heat and hunger.
“I pray to Allah that I no longer have to wear my torn shirt to cover the scars on my back,” said Ahmed.
Turning to the Imams’ Network
In this country, as in many others, corporal punishment is widespread in mahadras and secular primary schools, and within families. It is considered a suitable and effective educational method.
UNICEF Mauritania analyzed this widespread phenomenon in order to find the best way to address it. Given the pre-eminent position of religious leaders in the Islamic Republic of Mauritania, a partnership with the Imams’ and Religious Leaders’ Network for Child Rights was deemed an appropriate entry point.
This approach is also in line with the recommendations of the UN Secretary-General’s Study on Violence against Children, which urges close collaboration with community and religious leaders.
No basis in the Koran
For its part, the Imams’ Network carried out a study to assess whether corporal punishment is allowed in Islam. The evidence was overwhelming: The study found that violence has no place in the Koran.
UNICEF Representative in Mauritania Christian Skoog, local authorities and the President of the Imams’ and Religious Leaders’ Network for Child Rights, Hademine Ould Saleck, attend a workshop on ending corporal punishment.
The results of the study will now form the basis of a fatwa (religious edict) barring physical and verbal violence against children in the educational system, including in the home.
“The evidence that corporal punishment is forbidden by Islam is clear and abiding for all of us,” declared Imams’ Network President Hademine Ould Saleck. “Let us stop arguing. We don’t have a choice, and we must apply Sharia [Islamic law], which fully protects children”.
‘A powerful tool’
A regional workshop to validate the study was held 20-21 April in Atar. Among the participants were 30 Imams from the Adrar and Inchiri regions, as well as UNICEF Representative in Mauritania Christian Skoog.
“We have to use this fatwa prohibiting corporal punishment as a powerful tool to disseminate and put an end to violence in mahadras, schools and religious events,” said Mr. Skoog.
This child-rights initiative coincides with the upcoming 20th anniversary of the Convention on the Rights of the Child and the scaling up of the country programme in Mauritania. In fact, the regional workshop kicked off a series of commemorative events.
By Christian Skoog and Brahim Ould Isselmou
ATAR, Mauritania, 6 May 2009 – In the first hour after his arrival at a mahadra (Koranic school) in Atar, Ahmed was beaten several times. Over the next four months, he suffered daily.
His ‘Cheikh’, or teacher, used many different tools to punish Ahmed and his friends. Some of the boys who are considered troublemakers were tied up to the trunks of trees and left outside for hours, suffering from the heat and hunger.
“I pray to Allah that I no longer have to wear my torn shirt to cover the scars on my back,” said Ahmed.
Turning to the Imams’ Network
In this country, as in many others, corporal punishment is widespread in mahadras and secular primary schools, and within families. It is considered a suitable and effective educational method.
UNICEF Mauritania analyzed this widespread phenomenon in order to find the best way to address it. Given the pre-eminent position of religious leaders in the Islamic Republic of Mauritania, a partnership with the Imams’ and Religious Leaders’ Network for Child Rights was deemed an appropriate entry point.
This approach is also in line with the recommendations of the UN Secretary-General’s Study on Violence against Children, which urges close collaboration with community and religious leaders.
No basis in the Koran
For its part, the Imams’ Network carried out a study to assess whether corporal punishment is allowed in Islam. The evidence was overwhelming: The study found that violence has no place in the Koran.
UNICEF Representative in Mauritania Christian Skoog, local authorities and the President of the Imams’ and Religious Leaders’ Network for Child Rights, Hademine Ould Saleck, attend a workshop on ending corporal punishment.
The results of the study will now form the basis of a fatwa (religious edict) barring physical and verbal violence against children in the educational system, including in the home.
“The evidence that corporal punishment is forbidden by Islam is clear and abiding for all of us,” declared Imams’ Network President Hademine Ould Saleck. “Let us stop arguing. We don’t have a choice, and we must apply Sharia [Islamic law], which fully protects children”.
‘A powerful tool’
A regional workshop to validate the study was held 20-21 April in Atar. Among the participants were 30 Imams from the Adrar and Inchiri regions, as well as UNICEF Representative in Mauritania Christian Skoog.
“We have to use this fatwa prohibiting corporal punishment as a powerful tool to disseminate and put an end to violence in mahadras, schools and religious events,” said Mr. Skoog.
This child-rights initiative coincides with the upcoming 20th anniversary of the Convention on the Rights of the Child and the scaling up of the country programme in Mauritania. In fact, the regional workshop kicked off a series of commemorative events.
Tuesday, April 28, 2009
Jordan: Women’s Complaints Bureau receives 171 cases
Al Ghad – 27 April 2009
The Women’s Complaints Bureau at the Jordanian National Commission for Women (JNCW) has received 171 cases and complaints until last Thursday, according to a statement by JNCW. The Bureau was launched in December last year to receive complaints pertaining to violence and discrimination against women in Jordan, especially at home and work places. Complaints have been received via interviews with individuals or phone calls on the project’s toll-free number. JNCW Secretary General Aasma Khader had previously stated that the Bureau will release descriptive and analytical reports on the cases it receives in order to tackle the factors leading to them and adopt policies and recommendations pertaining to them.
The Women’s Complaints Bureau at the Jordanian National Commission for Women (JNCW) has received 171 cases and complaints until last Thursday, according to a statement by JNCW. The Bureau was launched in December last year to receive complaints pertaining to violence and discrimination against women in Jordan, especially at home and work places. Complaints have been received via interviews with individuals or phone calls on the project’s toll-free number. JNCW Secretary General Aasma Khader had previously stated that the Bureau will release descriptive and analytical reports on the cases it receives in order to tackle the factors leading to them and adopt policies and recommendations pertaining to them.
Monday, April 27, 2009
Lebanon: Lebanon’s politicians urged to focus on human rights in election campaigns
Communiqué from Amnesty International/US - Lebanon’s electorate goes to the polls in a national election on 7 June. Amnesty International has written an open letter to political leaders calling on them to put human rights at the centre of their election campaign.
In the letter published on Thursday, Irene Khan, Amnesty International’s Secretary General, urges political leaders in the country to firmly entrench the protection and promotion of human rights in both the law and in practice. The letter identifies five key steps:
* Reform the justice system to ensure it is independent and to guarantee fair trials;
* End all arbitrary detention and torture and other ill-treatment;
* End impunity for grave human rights violations and establish mechanisms to ensure justice, truth and reparation for victims of past gross abuses of human rights;
* End all discrimination and violence and other abuses against women and members of marginalised groups;
* Enact legislation to abolish the death penalty for all crimes.
Irene Khan also urged campaigning parties to display respect for freedom of expression, assembly and other rights essential to the conduct of political life during their campaigns.
Political divisions in Lebanon have hindered the full realization of human rights in the country. The June elections represent a new opportunity to build upon the period following the Doha Agreement of last May, the formation of the national unity government and the subsequent election of Michel Suleiman as President.
There have been some positive human rights developments in the country in recent months. In December 2008, Lebanon ratified the Optional Protocol to the Convention against Torture. In addition, a draft law to abolish the death penalty is now under active consideration.
The Lebanese authorities have also clearly recognized that concrete action is needed to improve the conditions of thousands of migrant domestic workers and hundreds of thousands of Palestinian refugees who live in the country.
The establishment of the Special Tribunal for Lebanon in February and the current parliament’s development of a national Human Rights Action Plan are two other potentially positive developments, which if built upon could help lead to a far-reaching programme of human rights reform.
23 April 2009
In the letter published on Thursday, Irene Khan, Amnesty International’s Secretary General, urges political leaders in the country to firmly entrench the protection and promotion of human rights in both the law and in practice. The letter identifies five key steps:
* Reform the justice system to ensure it is independent and to guarantee fair trials;
* End all arbitrary detention and torture and other ill-treatment;
* End impunity for grave human rights violations and establish mechanisms to ensure justice, truth and reparation for victims of past gross abuses of human rights;
* End all discrimination and violence and other abuses against women and members of marginalised groups;
* Enact legislation to abolish the death penalty for all crimes.
Irene Khan also urged campaigning parties to display respect for freedom of expression, assembly and other rights essential to the conduct of political life during their campaigns.
Political divisions in Lebanon have hindered the full realization of human rights in the country. The June elections represent a new opportunity to build upon the period following the Doha Agreement of last May, the formation of the national unity government and the subsequent election of Michel Suleiman as President.
There have been some positive human rights developments in the country in recent months. In December 2008, Lebanon ratified the Optional Protocol to the Convention against Torture. In addition, a draft law to abolish the death penalty is now under active consideration.
The Lebanese authorities have also clearly recognized that concrete action is needed to improve the conditions of thousands of migrant domestic workers and hundreds of thousands of Palestinian refugees who live in the country.
The establishment of the Special Tribunal for Lebanon in February and the current parliament’s development of a national Human Rights Action Plan are two other potentially positive developments, which if built upon could help lead to a far-reaching programme of human rights reform.
23 April 2009
Monday, April 20, 2009
Saudi Arabia: Rape scene on TV stirs debate
Najah Alosaimi | Arab News
RAISING THE BAR: Lamia’a Tareq, left, and Rana Abu Ghali who played raped sisters. (AN photo)
RIYADH: On a recent Friday night, thousands of television viewers across the Kingdom were shocked to see an explicit portrayal of a violent rape of two Saudi women.
Unprecedented for a Saudi TV, the three-minute scene showed two sisters being kidnapped by two men they met online, taken to a weekend home outside Jeddah, beaten and then violently raped.
While one girl is shown tearfully pleading for help, the other is seen having her abaya stripped away. The scene ends when one rapist threatens to circulate picture of the rapes via Bluetooth if they dare go to police.
The scene was a part of “Asakinat fe Qolubena,” (Dwellers in our Hearts) a new television series drama being aired on MBC1. It illustrates how Saudi drama has become more bold and sophisticated in exposing social problems.
“Yes, we expected the program to be controversial,” said Hassan Assiri, executive director of the producing company Al-Sadaf for Audio and Visual Production. “Until recently, Saudi drama tended to tackle taboos only implicitly.”
This program aims to move these taboos into the public eye in order to make people realize on their own that such violence is unacceptable.
“There have been some women who had similar shocking incidents inside the Kingdom recently... so we are not making up stories!” he said.
Indeed, technology was the tool that revealed scandals that shocked society, such as the Panda girl incident where a black man rapes a teenage Saudi girl, followed by Al-Nahdah pedestrian bridge incident, in which four Saudi boys filmed themselves sexually harassing girls.
The rape episode, entitled “Eqab,” was one of many other bold ones shown at that ongoing weekly series, which discussed many topics that have never been openly talked about, such as, rape, AIDS and marital abuse. The overall series topics revolve around forms of problems facing women in Saudi Arabia.
The program has been revealed as the top-rated program on all of television since January, according to a ratings survey carried out by Ipsos-Stat.
Assiri justified choosing women to be the core of his drama.
“Some men still think that decent women should never leave their homes and if they do, then they deserve any danger that might happen,” he said.
Assiri, who is an actor as well, refused to describe his series as “provoking.” “I think the Turkish soap operas, which are popular among Saudis, are bolder,” he said, adding that many people blame him for discussing social problems in his series.
“Violence against women persists in every country; why we are ashamed to admit it in our country?”
The series has its share of attacks and criticisms from critics and the public as well. Drama critic Mamdooh Al-Mehainy, encourages programs that bring social problems into the open, but he thinks the way such topics are addressed to viewers particularly in “Asakinat fe Qolubena” is onedimensional.
Talking specifically about “Eqab” episode, he said it conveyed the wrong message to me as viewer.
“Instead of putting emphasis on the new e-crimes law that specifies a range of offenses and penalties, including fines and imprisonment for computer hacking or harassment, the episode shows that men could kidnap and rape girls they meet online without any control,” he said, adding it also gives the impression that women who use the Internet invite scandal, which implies women should not use the Internet.
“I believe the episode has frightened people instead of educating them,” he said.
He added that Saudis are emotional and such topics probably would make them to reject technology or prevent their women from using Internet.
However, viewers received the drama message differently. “It freaked me out,” said Maha Sa’ad, a mother of four teenage girls.
“Honestly, I couldn’t sleep that night because I was thinking if these girls were my daughters.”
She hopes this could be a wake up call for the girls who believe in relationships before marriage.
Likewise, Abdullah Al-Hamrani, a father in his late 40s, thinks that such dramas distort the image of Saudi society especially that million of viewers around the Middle East have watched the program.
“Regardless whether this incident has ever occurred in our society or not, don’t we have other bright stories to tell our Islamic society? These incidents are not happening every day,” he said.
Asakinat fe Qolubena was filmed in Riyadh, Jeddah, Manama and Damascus. The program featured Gulf stars such as Lamia’a Tareq, Badriyah Ahmed, Turky Al-Yousif and Jasim Al-Nabhan.
RAISING THE BAR: Lamia’a Tareq, left, and Rana Abu Ghali who played raped sisters. (AN photo)
RIYADH: On a recent Friday night, thousands of television viewers across the Kingdom were shocked to see an explicit portrayal of a violent rape of two Saudi women.
Unprecedented for a Saudi TV, the three-minute scene showed two sisters being kidnapped by two men they met online, taken to a weekend home outside Jeddah, beaten and then violently raped.
While one girl is shown tearfully pleading for help, the other is seen having her abaya stripped away. The scene ends when one rapist threatens to circulate picture of the rapes via Bluetooth if they dare go to police.
The scene was a part of “Asakinat fe Qolubena,” (Dwellers in our Hearts) a new television series drama being aired on MBC1. It illustrates how Saudi drama has become more bold and sophisticated in exposing social problems.
“Yes, we expected the program to be controversial,” said Hassan Assiri, executive director of the producing company Al-Sadaf for Audio and Visual Production. “Until recently, Saudi drama tended to tackle taboos only implicitly.”
This program aims to move these taboos into the public eye in order to make people realize on their own that such violence is unacceptable.
“There have been some women who had similar shocking incidents inside the Kingdom recently... so we are not making up stories!” he said.
Indeed, technology was the tool that revealed scandals that shocked society, such as the Panda girl incident where a black man rapes a teenage Saudi girl, followed by Al-Nahdah pedestrian bridge incident, in which four Saudi boys filmed themselves sexually harassing girls.
The rape episode, entitled “Eqab,” was one of many other bold ones shown at that ongoing weekly series, which discussed many topics that have never been openly talked about, such as, rape, AIDS and marital abuse. The overall series topics revolve around forms of problems facing women in Saudi Arabia.
The program has been revealed as the top-rated program on all of television since January, according to a ratings survey carried out by Ipsos-Stat.
Assiri justified choosing women to be the core of his drama.
“Some men still think that decent women should never leave their homes and if they do, then they deserve any danger that might happen,” he said.
Assiri, who is an actor as well, refused to describe his series as “provoking.” “I think the Turkish soap operas, which are popular among Saudis, are bolder,” he said, adding that many people blame him for discussing social problems in his series.
“Violence against women persists in every country; why we are ashamed to admit it in our country?”
The series has its share of attacks and criticisms from critics and the public as well. Drama critic Mamdooh Al-Mehainy, encourages programs that bring social problems into the open, but he thinks the way such topics are addressed to viewers particularly in “Asakinat fe Qolubena” is onedimensional.
Talking specifically about “Eqab” episode, he said it conveyed the wrong message to me as viewer.
“Instead of putting emphasis on the new e-crimes law that specifies a range of offenses and penalties, including fines and imprisonment for computer hacking or harassment, the episode shows that men could kidnap and rape girls they meet online without any control,” he said, adding it also gives the impression that women who use the Internet invite scandal, which implies women should not use the Internet.
“I believe the episode has frightened people instead of educating them,” he said.
He added that Saudis are emotional and such topics probably would make them to reject technology or prevent their women from using Internet.
However, viewers received the drama message differently. “It freaked me out,” said Maha Sa’ad, a mother of four teenage girls.
“Honestly, I couldn’t sleep that night because I was thinking if these girls were my daughters.”
She hopes this could be a wake up call for the girls who believe in relationships before marriage.
Likewise, Abdullah Al-Hamrani, a father in his late 40s, thinks that such dramas distort the image of Saudi society especially that million of viewers around the Middle East have watched the program.
“Regardless whether this incident has ever occurred in our society or not, don’t we have other bright stories to tell our Islamic society? These incidents are not happening every day,” he said.
Asakinat fe Qolubena was filmed in Riyadh, Jeddah, Manama and Damascus. The program featured Gulf stars such as Lamia’a Tareq, Badriyah Ahmed, Turky Al-Yousif and Jasim Al-Nabhan.
Thursday, April 9, 2009
UAE: UAE General Women’s Union Praises MEPI
With the presence of UAE's Minister of State for Foreign Affairs and representatives of the United Nations Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM) and foreign ambassadors, the UAE General Women Union (GWU) launched UNIFEM's Biennial Global Report, Progress
of the World's Women 2008/2009 last week. The report features new data and calls for
stronger accountability systems to move from commitments on women's rights. During the launch ceremony, the Legal Adviser of the GWU told the audience that 600 Emirati women were empowered through MEPI-sponsored programs and cooperation, especially thru the MEPI Women in Technology (WIT) program.
UAEG representatives expressed willingness to cooperate with MEPI to develop programs
on countering domestic violence, while UNIFEM's Deputy Director said they want to learn from and cooperate with MEPI programs related to women's political empowerment,
especially programs dedicated to further empower Arab woman MPs. UNIFEM has a project
entitled “Arab Women Parliamentarians.”
of the World's Women 2008/2009 last week. The report features new data and calls for
stronger accountability systems to move from commitments on women's rights. During the launch ceremony, the Legal Adviser of the GWU told the audience that 600 Emirati women were empowered through MEPI-sponsored programs and cooperation, especially thru the MEPI Women in Technology (WIT) program.
UAEG representatives expressed willingness to cooperate with MEPI to develop programs
on countering domestic violence, while UNIFEM's Deputy Director said they want to learn from and cooperate with MEPI programs related to women's political empowerment,
especially programs dedicated to further empower Arab woman MPs. UNIFEM has a project
entitled “Arab Women Parliamentarians.”
Monday, April 6, 2009
Syria: Fears over gender-based violence in Iraqi community
DAMASCUS, 6 April 2009 (IRIN) - UN agencies working in Syria are worried about high levels of sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV) in the Iraqi refugee community.
No comprehensive statistics on SGBV are available for Syria but local studies and anecdotal evidence suggest that the rate of GBV among the refugees is much higher than among the Syrian population.
The UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) identified nearly 500 Iraqi victims of SGBV between January and August 2008. Its update in August 2008 said: “At least 450 survivors of SGBV have been identified since January 2008, making an average of 13 per week.” The most common types of SGBV, said the report, included rape, forced prostitution, trafficking, forced marriage, domestic violence and sexual exploitation.
“We have noticed a problem with both physical and emotional abuse,” said Carole Laleve, a spokesperson for the UNHCR. “The number of cases coming to our attention has risen but that may be due to an increased willingness to seek help.”
Other agencies report similar findings. “Our anecdotal evidence suggests the rate of GBV in the Iraqi community is higher than in the Syrian one,” said Theodora Tsovili, a psychosocial specialist at the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF). “Adolescents have particular psychosocial vulnerabilities and since the end of 2007 UNICEF has been running a programme of SGBV prevention among young women and men.”
Over 1.2 millions Iraqis fled their country following the US-led invasion of Iraq in 2003 and the outbreak of sectarian violence in its aftermath.
Experts say they are not surprised by the higher and continued occurrence of violence, given the vulnerability of Iraqis in Syria.
Behaviour change
“The Iraqis who fled to Syria are often suffering from post-traumatic disorders, most have a family member who was killed or tortured, often in front of them,” said Ilham Moussa, who works on the UN Population Fund’s (UNFPA’s) US$200,000 humanitarian programme to support the Ministry of Health’s services.
“Injuries can also cause behaviour to change and make people more violent,” she added.
Other risk factors such as low income and changes in family roles, such as women becoming the main earners, are also present in the Iraqi community in Syria. These factors expose them to greater risk of SGBV than the Syrian population.
Suffering in silence
The real levels of SGBV are likely to be underestimated given the reluctance of women, who are usually the victims, to speak out. Doctors in Damascus and the northeastern city of Al-Hassakeh, where most Iraqi refugees live, have reported a number of cases of SGBV in Iraqi families.
“Often women are scared to say anything. They think they will be marginalised by their community and have no source of income,” said one doctor from the Dummar suburb of Damascus. “They think about their families and their children and decide that it is better to suffer in silence.”
The UNHCR says its outreach programme, in which a group of Iraqi women are trained to raise awareness by talking to their peers about SGBV, is helping Iraqi women to feel able to talk and seek help. “It is a very sensitive issue but now the women are much more open,” says Laleve. “There is a lot of pride at the start but as they trust the outreach workers and their desperation increases, they do start to talk.”
Workshops
Other initiatives to tackle the SGBV are in progress and many more are being planned. UNFPA runs a humanitarian programme which has run six workshops for health professionals in the affected areas on how to deal with victims of violence - both Iraqi and Syrian as they use the same health system.
Health professionals who attended the workshops in Damascus at the end of 2008 were taught how to detect SGBV, which tests to offer victims, and the codes of confidentiality for dealing with them. They were also taught counselling techniques, including methods to teach women how to diffuse violent situations at home.
The Ministry of Health is finalising the first set of guidelines on dealing with victims of abuse. Other organisations such as the French development organisation, IECD, are developing SGBV programmes for the Iraqi population. Several shelters are available for referral of the most serious cases.
No comprehensive statistics on SGBV are available for Syria but local studies and anecdotal evidence suggest that the rate of GBV among the refugees is much higher than among the Syrian population.
The UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) identified nearly 500 Iraqi victims of SGBV between January and August 2008. Its update in August 2008 said: “At least 450 survivors of SGBV have been identified since January 2008, making an average of 13 per week.” The most common types of SGBV, said the report, included rape, forced prostitution, trafficking, forced marriage, domestic violence and sexual exploitation.
“We have noticed a problem with both physical and emotional abuse,” said Carole Laleve, a spokesperson for the UNHCR. “The number of cases coming to our attention has risen but that may be due to an increased willingness to seek help.”
Other agencies report similar findings. “Our anecdotal evidence suggests the rate of GBV in the Iraqi community is higher than in the Syrian one,” said Theodora Tsovili, a psychosocial specialist at the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF). “Adolescents have particular psychosocial vulnerabilities and since the end of 2007 UNICEF has been running a programme of SGBV prevention among young women and men.”
Over 1.2 millions Iraqis fled their country following the US-led invasion of Iraq in 2003 and the outbreak of sectarian violence in its aftermath.
Experts say they are not surprised by the higher and continued occurrence of violence, given the vulnerability of Iraqis in Syria.
Behaviour change
“The Iraqis who fled to Syria are often suffering from post-traumatic disorders, most have a family member who was killed or tortured, often in front of them,” said Ilham Moussa, who works on the UN Population Fund’s (UNFPA’s) US$200,000 humanitarian programme to support the Ministry of Health’s services.
“Injuries can also cause behaviour to change and make people more violent,” she added.
Other risk factors such as low income and changes in family roles, such as women becoming the main earners, are also present in the Iraqi community in Syria. These factors expose them to greater risk of SGBV than the Syrian population.
Suffering in silence
The real levels of SGBV are likely to be underestimated given the reluctance of women, who are usually the victims, to speak out. Doctors in Damascus and the northeastern city of Al-Hassakeh, where most Iraqi refugees live, have reported a number of cases of SGBV in Iraqi families.
“Often women are scared to say anything. They think they will be marginalised by their community and have no source of income,” said one doctor from the Dummar suburb of Damascus. “They think about their families and their children and decide that it is better to suffer in silence.”
The UNHCR says its outreach programme, in which a group of Iraqi women are trained to raise awareness by talking to their peers about SGBV, is helping Iraqi women to feel able to talk and seek help. “It is a very sensitive issue but now the women are much more open,” says Laleve. “There is a lot of pride at the start but as they trust the outreach workers and their desperation increases, they do start to talk.”
Workshops
Other initiatives to tackle the SGBV are in progress and many more are being planned. UNFPA runs a humanitarian programme which has run six workshops for health professionals in the affected areas on how to deal with victims of violence - both Iraqi and Syrian as they use the same health system.
Health professionals who attended the workshops in Damascus at the end of 2008 were taught how to detect SGBV, which tests to offer victims, and the codes of confidentiality for dealing with them. They were also taught counselling techniques, including methods to teach women how to diffuse violent situations at home.
The Ministry of Health is finalising the first set of guidelines on dealing with victims of abuse. Other organisations such as the French development organisation, IECD, are developing SGBV programmes for the Iraqi population. Several shelters are available for referral of the most serious cases.
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