Gender-based violence helpline in Kurdistan registering more calls in 2021

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region — A support helpline for victims of gender-based violence says they are receiving more calls in 2021 than in previous years. This comes as public conversations about domestic violence surge in the Kurdistan Region following the murder of a young woman by her husband on Friday.

To reduce gender-based violence in the Kurdistan Region, the General Directorate of Combatting Violence Against Women launched the 119 helpline at the end of 2018. The aim of the resource is to provide callers with legal and mental health support.

The helpline receives 20 to 25 calls on a daily basis.

“Our calls are nearly 70 percent from women and 30 percent from men,” said Tawfiq Mohammed, who receives calls at the helpline. “Most of the problems are related to social media. For example, they are about [Facebook account] hackings and threats to publish personal photos.”

According to the General Directorate of Combatting Violence Against Women, they have received 941 violence complaints and 581 phone calls in the first three months of 2021. The number of calls has increased compared to those in 2020.

“We understand that women rarely reach out to government institutions or they may not be able to visit them. Therefore, they can receive consultations on their issues through the 119 helpline,” Lt. Col. Farman Mohammed, Director of General Directorate of Combatting Violence Against Women, told Rudaw.

Translation by Sarkawt Mohammed