“Callers will be connected with trained social workers as well as legal and psycho-social support counselors, both female and male,” read a press release from the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) launching the free service on Wednesday.
The fully confidential 24-hour call centre is reached by dialing 119.
Trained operators will “provide counseling, advice, and support to GBV [gender-based violence] survivors and vulnerable individuals,” said KRG Minister of the Interior Kareem Sinjari.
It is a joint project of UNFPA and the Kurdistan Region’s General Directorate for Combatting Violence Against Women.
UNFPA’s Ramanathan Balakrishnan said the helpline is a “solid tool” towards increasing services for victims of violence.
The KRG’s directorate recorded 9,693 cases of violence against women across the Region in 2017. Many incidents, however, go unreported.
The KRG has strengthened its laws on women’s rights, but further efforts were stalled when party disputes temporarily shut down the parliament.
The hotline hopes to reach more than 3,600 survivors in the first year.
