Many of Iraq’s citizens continue to endure lack of access to education, healthcare, housing, and economic opportunity. The Government needs to implement legal, institutional and policy reforms, including the allocation of appropriate resources, to ensure the delivery of such services so that all Iraqi citizens have an equal and fair opportunity to reach their full potential.
Women, children, persons with disabilities, and members of Iraq’s diverse ethnic and religious and other groups, still face discrimination and significant challenges hindering their full and equal participation in the political, economic and social life of the country. For instance, sections of the Iraqi Criminal Code permit honour to be used as a mitigating factor for men committing acts of violence against women and family members. These sections must be repealed.
The Government, in consultation and partnership with civil society, should also undertake legal and institutional reforms, and develop policies, including information campaigns aimed at raising public awareness and specialised training for police, prosecutors and judges, concerning the rights of women and children, so as to guarantee that violence in the home can be prevented, that the victims of such violence will be provided with the care, support and protection they deserve, and that those who commit such acts of violence will be held accountable according to law. Law and policies must also be introduced to ensure the full and equal participation of ethnic and religious and other minorities in political, social and economic decisions that affect them. Law and policy must be introduced that fully implements the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.
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