KRG, UNPF release a survey on women's conditions in Kurdistan

Shafaq News/ Kurdistan's Ministry of Planning, the Statistics Office, and UNFPA launched today, Wednesday, the results of the second Iraq Women Integrated Social and Health (IWISH) survey in the Kurdistan Region.

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The survey funded by Swedish government covers "the topics of women empowerment, violence against women, early marriage, family planning and maternal health, COVID19, education, employment and other relevant social factors influencing women’s rights in Iraq," an official press release said.

"It also offers integrated data showing the change in women's economic and social status in Iraq since 2011," it added.

Speaking at the event, Dara Rasheed, Minister of Planning of the Kurdistan Regional Government, said that "the Ministry of Planning prioritises making reliable data and new statistics available to governmental institutions to ensure that regulations and policies are developed based on evidence."

"We also encourage the government to utilise the data collected to develop their programmes and projects to empower women and girls in the Kurdistan Region," he added.

Rita Columbia, UNFPA Representative to Iraq, during the launch reiterated that "availability and use of reliable data for policy and decision making is vital for the regional sustainable development, where the rights of all especially women and girls as the most vulnerable are protected and fulfilled."

The representatives of ministries in KRI, the High Council for Women Development, CSOs and international partners expressed their interest in studying the findings of the survey and using them for improving legislation, policies and programmes in KRI.