UN to promote women’s role in Iraq

UNDP is partnering with the Ministry of Interior to establish six model police stations in Baghdad, Basra, Ninewa, and Anbar for responsive, effective, and accountable local police services that are accessible to both women and men.
Women stand on the "martyrs' bridge" spanning the Tigris River in Baghdad, Iraq, Friday, Feb. 24, 2023. (Jerome Delay/ AP)
Women stand on the "martyrs' bridge" spanning the Tigris River in Baghdad, Iraq, Friday, Feb. 24, 2023. (Jerome Delay/ AP)

ERBIL (Kurdistan 24) – The United Nations Development Program (UNDP) in Iraq on Friday announced a program to promote the role of women in Iraq. 

“Promoting women’s role in policing is a key part of UNDP’s collaboration with the Iraqi government in building trust between communities in improved local police services,” the tweet reads.

UNDP is partnering with the Ministry of Interior to establish six model police stations in Baghdad, Basra, Ninewa, and Anbar for responsive, effective, and accountable local police services that are accessible to both women and men.

“Model police stations are a trailblazing activity that we are implementing together with the Ministry of Interior, which includes setting up police stations,” Romana Schweiger, the Director of the Rule of Law Department at the United Nations Development Program, said.

“The local police force should mirror the communities that they are serving, which includes female police officers,” Schweiger added.

Approximately 1.32 million Iraqis are at risk of gender-based violence, and more than 75% of them are women and adolescents. According to a recent World Health Organization (WHO) report on violence against women, Iraq has a prevalence of 26% of lifetime intimate partner violence among married women aged 15-49.