The first national survey about violence against women in Iraq

 Al-Hakim Foundation Iraq, Al Najaf.

Violence against women considered one of major critical phenomena in the human societies, even with great progress of humanity but this phenomenon still exit.

      Al-Hakim Foundation was one of the first Iraqi civil society organization called to take serious measures to eliminate this phenomenon from Iraqi society. In addition to the various programs that foundation organized to help in eradication of violence against women in Iraq, Al-Hakim foundation also adapted the call of H.E. Sayyed Abdul Aziz Al-Hakim for announcing an Islamic Day for Elimination Violence Against Women on the first day of second month in the Islamic – Hijri- calendar every year.

On August 2009 the scientific committee in Al-Hakim Foundation started a national survey about violence against women to raise the understanding of this phenomenon and its causes and to find out the best methods to eradicate it and to help the victims.

The survey continue for almost 6 months and survey included ten Iraqi provinces

 ( Arbil, Mosul, Kirkuk, Diyala, Baghdad, Najaf, Babylon, Basra, Dhi Qar, Qadissiya).

Those cities represent all kind of Iraqi social segments.

 This survey included questions about age, marital states, education, family income, jobs, employer, family size, house hold working, social background, and housing.

Survey included direct questions about violence women that exposed to, like type, place, sources, and reasons. And how women think when exposed to violence and what is their response.

Result of the survey:

Women exposed to violence:

Never exposed to violence: 42%,

Sometimes exposed to violence: 36%

Frequently exposed to violence: 22%

Number of times of exposed to violence :

none :38%

Sometimes : 29%

Rarely: 20%

Always: 13%

Types of violence that women exposed to:

Never exposed to any type: 32.5%

Verbal violence 29%

Emotional violence: 17.5%

Physical violence: 7%

Physical, verbal, and emotional: 12%

Others: 2%

Sources of violence:

No sources: 36.5 %

Husband: 30%

Brother 11.7  %

Father 8.3%

Mother 3.4%

Relatives 5.2 %

Other 3%

Places of violence

Home: 55.6%

University and institute: 1%

Cause of violence

Anger 33.1%

Sexual causes: 2.3%

Response of women to violence

Keep it secret: 39.7%

Seek justice: 5.5%

Consequences of violence

No consequences: 30.7%

Mental irritability: 20%

Depression: 18.7

Fear: 9.2%

Jealousy: 8.2%

Hatred: 6.5 %

Revenge desire: 4.6%

Others 1.7%