Kirkuk women’s shelter stands empty two years after opening

KIRKUK — More than two years after it was established to support survivors of violence, a fully equipped women’s shelter in Kirkuk has yet to take in a single resident due to a staffing shortage, according to local activists and officials.

The facility was built in 2023 by the Kirkuk administration to provide refuge for women facing abuse. Although it has been furnished and prepared, it has never opened its doors, leaving many survivors without a safe place to turn.

“Kirkuk’s diverse population and cultural complexities mean there are many women in the city who experience domestic violence,” said women’s rights advocate Frmesk Dawudi, speaking to 964media. “There are many women in Kirkuk who suffer from abuse, but due to the lack of a shelter, they are forced to seek refuge in other cities using private transportation.”

Dawudi called for reopening the shelter and adapting its services to local needs. “There is no shelter in Kirkuk for girls under 18, and unlike other areas, there is no shelter for boys under the age of five,” she said. She warned that gender-based violence is increasing and stressed the need for legal solutions. “Women must come forward and seek justice. Psychological abuse is worse than physical violence,” she said.

In a separate interview with 964media, Entisar Karim, head of the Women, Family, and Child Affairs Department in Kirkuk, said the Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs initially opened the shelter “just to say a place had been provided,” but the lack of staff has kept it from becoming operational. “The shelter has no employees, and the domestic violence law has not yet been passed in parliament,” she said.

Two weeks ago, officials met with the General Secretariat of the Council of Ministers to define the shelter’s operational framework and issue formal guidelines. “We are still waiting for approval,” Karim said.

The urgency of the situation is underscored by the number of domestic violence cases reported across Iraq. According to Fazel Gharawi, head of the Strategic Center for Human Rights, 14,000 domestic violence cases were registered last year, most involving physical abuse. “73% of the victims were female, while 27% were male. Of those, 6% were minors,” he told 964media.