Shafaq News- Al-Sulaymaniyah

Marriage and divorce rates increased across Iraq’s Kurdistan Region between 2024 and 2025, while psychological abuse remained the most common form of domestic violence, accounting for more than 40% of reported cases, the Women Legal Assistance Organization indicated on Saturday.

During a conference in Al-Sulaymaniyah, Shokhan Hama Rashid, the Organization’s director, noted that 61,328 marriages were registered across the Kurdistan Region during the 2024–2025 period. Overall divorce rates rose, although Al-Sulaymaniyah registered a decline, with 15,826 divorce cases recorded during the same period.

The findings also documented 107 requests for permission to enter into second or polygamous marriages. Another 3,119 marriage contracts concluded outside the courts were later certified by judicial authorities.

Domestic violence cases continued to place pressure on specialized courts across the Region. Figures showed that Al-Sulaymaniyah Court for Combating Domestic Violence registered 4,703 cases in 2025. Of these, 2,937 were resolved, while the remainder remain under review.

In Garmian, 431 cases remain under review and 304 have been settled. Erbil registered 1,641 ongoing cases alongside 2,024 resolved cases. In Duhok, courts resolved 1,030 cases, while Halabja recorded 845 resolved cases and 575 cases still under review.

Survey results further revealed that psychological violence made up 41% of domestic abuse cases, making it the most prevalent form of violence within families. Economic violence followed at 34%, while physical violence represented 19.5% of cases and sexual violence 5.5%.

The findings identified husbands as the main perpetrators of domestic violence, accounting for 53% of incidents. Fathers represented 19%, brothers 12%, and fourth-degree relatives 8%, while women accounted for 2%.

Respondents identified public awareness campaigns as the most effective way to reduce family-related problems, with 49% citing legal and social awareness as the top priority. Religious leaders ranked second at 21%, followed by family counseling centers and domestic violence hotlines at 16%. Media outlets and social media platforms accounted for 13%.

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