Report 16 days of activism unfpa undp revised 2[1]

Al Mesalla Organization for Human Resources Development

16 days to combat violence against women Campaign

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Report on activities implemented in the frame of the 16 days to

combat violence against women Campaign targeting women living

in camps and outside of camps

"1"

Introduction:

Al Mesalla organization runs Women Safe Spaces (WSSs) in the camps of Bahrika,

Kawargosik, Darashakran and Baserma as well as Women Community Spaces (WCCs) in

Bahremandan, Kasnazan, Razhan, Shaqlawa and Khabat, in the province of Erbil, with

the support of UNFPA.

Specific activities were organized in the frame of the campaign “16 days to combat

violence against women” in the women spaces from 11/25/2014 until 12/10/2014.

Objective:

1. Raise awareness of the communities living in the camps and outside of the

camps about gender based violence (GBV).

2. Advocate and raise awareness about early marriage.

Activities:

1. Opening ceremony:

The campaign was launched on 11/25/2014 at 10am in the camp of Baharka. A seminar

was organized by the women’s center and was attended by representatives of the camp

management, representatives from organizations and women living in the camp. The

seminar addressed the legal framework that provides protection to women in Iraq and

the Kurdistan Region and a special focus was made on the phenomenon of "Early

marriage". A series of interventions were made by specialists, addressing impact of early

marriage on women from a legal, health and psychological point of view.

Seminars and lectures on the opening date were conducted in all other WSSs and WCCS

to explain about the 16 days of activism campaign and its selected theme focusing on

Early marriage.

In Kawargosik, a paint exhibition was opened and displayed pictures related to violence

against women and early marriage



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2. Community dialogues:

16 community dialogues were conducted in the camps, 8 focused on addressing a total

of 20 parents and 8 focused on addressing a total of 24 boys and girls under 18 years

old. Discussions focused on understanding how the camp community is affected by

violence against women and early marriage. Causes of early marriage were discussed

and most of participants explained that issues linked to the conditions of living in the

camp and issues linked to security in the camp drive them to agree on marrying their

girls at an early age, in addition to the poor financial status of families. Besides, the IDP

community living in camps considers that the phenomenon of early marriage is a

tradition.

Boys and girls mentioned that being out of school and without work are the major

causes of early marriage beside pressure from the family side.

Regarding the impact of early marriage, both groups of parents and under age

participants mostly focused on the increasing divorce rate because under age spouses

lack of coping mechanisms and problem solving skills.

At the end of community dialogues, the social workers provided participants with a

lecture about early marriage focusing on the negative impact it has on women regarding

legal, social and health aspects.



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3. Lectures and seminars:

30 lectures and seminars were conducted in the frame of the 16 days of activism

campaign and addressed the issue of early marriage. Lectures were provided by social

workers, psychiatrics, lawyers and gynecologists, discussing different aspects of early

marriage and its impacts in regards to social, psychological, legal and health impacts.

More than 400 persons of both sex and different age groups participated to lectures and

seminars, sharing their inputs about the subjects.

4. Theater play:

3 theater plays were organized in the camps of Darashakran and Kawargosik about

violence against women and early marriage. 16 boys and girls from the camps were

trained and performed the play. A large audience attended the shows and interacted

with the actors. At the end of the show, the audience was requested to share comments

and provide solutions for the problems and issues presented during the show.



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5. Awareness rising:

A group of volunteers and social workers in the camps and outside of the camps

conducted out-reach activities in order to raise awareness about early marriage. They

visited tents after tents in the camps and home after home outside of the camps and

distributed brochures and posters about early marriage. The material contained

information about how early marriage is a violation of women’s rights mentioning legal

aspects and discussing health and social impact of early marriage especially on girls.

During this activity, 800 families were visited and 800 brochures were distributed.

Handouts were distributed during the implementation of community dialogues and to

visitors of the WSSs during the time of the campaign. 362 booklets were distributed in

the camps of Kawargosik, Darashakran and Baserma.

500 hand bracelets (orange ribbon) with the word NO to early marriage written on it

were distributed.



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6. Exhibitions:

In Shaqlawa and Khabat WCCS, two exhibitions for products sewn by women were

opened. Each exhibition lasted for two days and lectures about early marriage were

provided to the visitors.

In Baserma camp, a 5 days’ exhibition of women hand made products was opened and

displayed sewing, crotchet and other hand work of women and girls attending training

courses in Nergiz women space in Baserma camp.



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Center for Legal and Social Assistance in the camp Bakrka

"Report on the activities organized in the frame of the 16-days of

activism to combat violence against women campaign in Bahrka camp"

"2"

Introduction:

The Legal Assistance Centre established in Bahrka camp, Erbil Province, provides

legal and social services to displaced women living in the camp. The project is

implemented with the support of UNDP and in partnership with the Directorate in

charge of following-up violence against women and the Independent High

Commission for Human Rights in Kurdistan.

The center designed a special work plan to organize activities during the 16 days of

activism to combat violence against women campaign, which took place from

11/25/2014 until 12/10/2014.

Al-Mesalla Organization is running 9 other women's centers in partnership with

UNFPA. Activities were organized in these centres as well in the frame of the same

campaign and another report sharing outlines of activities will be issued and

distributed soon.

Objective:

1-Raise legal awareness among IDPs women in Bahrka camp

2-Engage men and boys living in the camp in the combating violence against women

campaign named "white emblem campaign"

Activities:



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First activity: Seminar on legal framework providing protection to women in Iraq

and KRG

On 11/25/2014, a seminar was organized by the women’s center and was attended

by representatives of the camp management, representatives from organizations

and women living in the camp. The seminar addressed the legal framework that

provides protection to women in Iraq and the Kurdistan Region and a special focus

was made on the phenomenon of "Early marriage". A series of interventions were

made by specialists, addressing impact of early marriage on women from a legal,

health and psychological point of view.

Second activity: Distribution of material on legal protection of women

Brochures, books, pamphlets and posters were printed for the campaign to raise

awareness and educate women about laws in force providing protection to women.

Two teams of volunteers were established to help in distributing the material and

visited more than 600 families living in the camp and talked with women during a

week’s time.

Third activity: Organization of 2 focus groups with men and boys



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On 02/12/2014 two focus groups were held with men and boy: the first group

gathered 12 men between the age of 25 to 32 years, and the second group gathered

12 young men between the ages of 18 to 25 years.

The following questions were asked to the two groups in order to launch dialogue:

What is the opinion of men and young people's opinion towards violence against

women?

What is the opinion of men and young people's opinion towards the causes of

violence against women?

Does violence affect only women or the whole society?

Does work to prevent violence against women involves only women or should men

and young people contribute to preventing the occurrence of violence against

women?

Each focus group continues discussion for 90 minutes and answers to the questions

were as follows:

Q: What is the opinion of men and young people's opinion towards violence

against women?

1. Violence against women is violence practiced against women and girls’

opinions.

2. Violence against women is a lack of respect towards women

3. Violence against women is to prevent women to go out and intervene in her

life

4. Violence against women is harassment against women in society

5. Violence against women is not to give the economic rights to women



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Q: What is the opinion of men and young people's opinion towards the causes of


1- Young men are subjected to large psychological pressure from the society and

violence is a result of this existing pressure

2- Violence is a result of economic factors, the lack of work leads to pressure on

men who fail to meet the needs of their family and they resort to violence

within the family

3- Violence is a result of social factors, as there is a historical legacy of social and

tribal beliefs that men should resort to violence to lead the family

Q: Does violence affect only women or the whole society?

1- Violence affects women, from a psychological, health, social and physical

aspect

2- Violence affects children, in terms of birth, as well as in terms of physical

disabilities and isolates the children from the community and leads to school

drop-out.

3- Violence affects men, in terms of psychological, economic and social aspects

4- Violence affects the community, in terms of community peace, economic

side, illiteracy, etc.

Q: Does work to prevent violence against women involves only women or should

men and young people contribute to preventing the occurrence of violence against

women?

1- Some considered that combating violence against women is mainly the work

of women and girls

2- But the majority believed that combating violence against women must be

stopped by the men as every man or young man should start from himself

3- Men and young people should contribute with women and girls and the

awareness of men by women of the importance of combating violence

against women.



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Fourth activity: Organization of a training workshop for 15 men and young men on

violence against women

On 12/04/2014, a training workshop on "violence against women" was for 15

displaced men and young men from Bahrka camp. The training addressed the

following topics:

- Gender based violence and violence against women, concept of gender

- Types of violence against women

- Causes of violence against women

- The effects of violence against women (on women, men, kids, family,

society).

- The importance of the involvement of men and boys in combating violence

against women programs

- Violence against women is harassment against women in society



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Fifth activity: Organization of a community dialogue event gathering men and

women

On 08/12/2014, a community dialogue was organized and gathered 15 women and

girls and 15 men and young men. They discussed the results of the focus groups

organized previously.

Questions and answers of young men during the focus groups were presented to the

audience and answers were reviewed and the audience was requested to provide

feedback on the answers and provide additional answers to the questions that were

not mentioned during the focus groups.

Q: What is the opinion of men and young people's opinion towards violence

against women?

- Lack of respect for women shown by her husband, her father

- Women are not given the freedom to choose her husband or what she wears and

restrict her to go out from the house

- The husband beats his wife

- The men prevent women from working



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Q: What is the opinion of men and young people's opinion towards the causes of


- Pressure and economic reasons

- Jealousy on wife

- Women are not listening to the husband, have a lack of interest in him and

dispute occurs with the use of trivial words

- Lack of respect for women from her husband

Q: Does violence affect only women or the whole society?

- Violence affects children especially the young ones

- Violence affects the economy of the house

Q: Does work to prevent violence against women involves only women or should

men and young people contribute to preventing the occurrence of violence against

women?

- Men and women should both work towards prevention

- If women were respecting her husband he would not beat her but respect her

- Love between the two sides would prevent the existence of violence

- The husband should be treated well in order to be psychologically relaxed and

make him feel the love of his wife and children

Sixth activity: Launch of the white emblem campaign

On the morning of 12/10/2014, a team of 14 men and youth in cooperation with the

legal center launched the white emblem campaign in the camp. The team visited all

the tens in the camp and talked with displaced men and young people in the camp

and addressed the importance about combatting violence against women. They

distributed brochures about the campaign and tied on chest of men and young men

white ribbons, the emblem of the campaign.



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Documents

Report 16 days of activism unfpa undp revised 2[1]