Kurdistan Men's Union reports a rise in domestic violence cases... against men

Shafaq News/ The Kurdistan Men's Union (KMU) on Wednesday reported a rise in domestic violence against men in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq with 148 cases of violence and 13 suicides recorded in the first quarter of 2024. 

"Compared to statistics from the same period last year, the current rate of violence against men is higher," said Burhan Ali, head of the KMU, in a statement to Shafaq News Agency. He added that details regarding the specific types of violence experienced by men are still being compiled.

Ali also raised concerns about the eviction of elderly men from their homes. "Every year, men, particularly the elderly, are forced out of their residences in the Kurdistan Region," he stated. Ali attributed this trend to situations where children side with their mothers during family conflicts, ultimately leading to the men's departure.

"Previously, some family issues were resolved through social mediation before couples separated," Ali explained. "However, the current situation sees problems going directly to court, often resulting in divorce."

Though women constitute by far the largest share of victims of physical violence and murder committed by intimate partners, would-be suitors and family members both in Iraq and across the rest of the world, men can also fall victim to violence within their homes. 

In 2020, when the problems between Jassim and his wife began, the Iraqi interior ministry recorded 15,000 cases of domestic violence. Of them, 9% were attacks by wives on their husbands, 7% assaults between siblings, and 10% attacks committed by children against their fathers. 

In early November 2023, the interior ministry recorded 27 cases of violence against men for the entire country except for the Kurdistan Region of Iraq.

In 2020, during the term of former Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi, a draft law against domestic violence was approved by the cabinet and referred to the parliament for vote. However, it has since then been stuck in the halls of the assembly.