Kurdistan Region: over 300 violence complaints against men in 2024

Shafaq News/ More than 300 complaints of violence against men have been filed in the Iraqi Kurdistan since the beginning of 2024, the Kurdistan Men's Union (KMU) said Saturday.

Burhan Ali Faraj, the Union's head, told Shafaq News Agency that the committee responsible for reviewing and recording violence complaints against men documented 61 complaints in June, along with three suicides and four murders. From Dec. 1, 2023, to July 1, 2024, Kurdistan recorded 342 cases of violence, including 31 suicides and 11 murders due to family disputes.

"These figures have not decreased compared to previous years."

Faraj considered the financial and economic crisis is a primary factor in worsening family problems, with men legally responsible for providing financial needs. He also pointed to interference from the wife's relatives, the impact of social media on family members, weak law enforcement, and declining judicial authority as contributing factors.

Faraj urged civil society organizations, media centers, and cultural institutions to investigate the underlying reasons and present them to the government as proposals for appropriate solutions.

"Kurdistan Men's Union is the only entity in the Region addressing gender issues, with its statistics recognized by government institutions both within and outside the Region. However, the government lacks an effective program to combat family problems, particularly on the financial and economic front, heightening concerns over the absence of sufficient solutions." Faraj noted.