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Women break record in US election

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Women break record in US election

More women candidates than ever will contest US governorships and House seats in November’s mid-term elections.

After Tuesday’s primaries across four states, there are now 11 female nominees for governor and at least 182 for the House of Representatives.

The results were hailed as a continuing success story by activists for women in politics, BBC News reports.

There was also a key election for a House seat in Ohio, in which President Donald Trump claimed victory.

But US media said the race was still too close to call, in a safe Republican seat held by them since 1983. The outcome could indicate whether Democrats have a chance to overturn the Republican majority in the House in November.

Preliminary results indicate Mari Manoogian, a descendant of survivors of the Armenian Genocide, has won the Democratic primary for the Michigan State House of Representatives’ 40th District. Manoogian defeated Nicole Bedi with 53% of the vote, The Armenian Weekly reports.

After polling closed in the four states holding primaries on Tuesday – Kansas, Michigan, Missouri and Washington – it became clear women had broken records for gubernatorial and House nominations.Victories for Gretchen Whitmer (Michigan) and Laura Kelly (Kansas) in Democratic primaries mean 11 women will contest governorships in November – one more than the previous 1994 record.

Egyptian women take on men in technology

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Samira Negm, the CEO of Raye7, talks to attendees of the Egyptian Women in Technology conference, Cairo, Egypt, March 10, 2018.

Samira Negm, the CEO of Raye7, talks to attendees of the Egyptian Women in Technology conference, Cairo, Egypt, March 10, 2018.

Fatma Lotfi

CAIRO — Amid difficult economic circumstances and a job market where the participation of male workers is considerably higher than their female counterparts, Egyptian women are taking new steps in the technology sector, an area dominated by men.

Motoon, which helps develop networks in the technology sector, partnered with the Google Developer Group (GDC) in Cairo to organize a conference titled “Egyptian Women in Technology,” which took place March 10. The conference at the Goethe Institute featured successful women and shed light on the main challenges and obstacles facing them.

Motoon’s Noon Tech program supports women working in the technology field by organizing regular training sessions and workshops.

“There aren’t many women in this field. Is it because we do not want to support them or we do not believe in their capacities? Are there real problems impeding their professional career paths? We are trying to understand this by organizing events that give them a chance to participate, show their practical and scientific experience, and reveal the difficulties they are facing,” Sara al-Sherif, a project manager at Motoon, told Al-Monitor.

She said that women in Egypt need a supportive environment and network, so one of the first steps is to introduce newcomers to the success cases and the latest techniques in the field, as well as connecting them to companies and associations to launch their own projects.

Samira Negm, 30, a participant in the conference, is the CEO of the company that created Raye7, a culturally sensitive carpool app. She told Al-Monitor, “I thought about using technology to serve society by creating the app Raye7 to solve the traffic crisis. The app aims at encouraging carpooling and helping people benefit from their resources efficiently to enjoy safe and affordable transportation.”

‘Women are still legally discriminated in 155 countries’

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Female genital mutilation, domestic violence, patriarchal structures — the fight for women’s rights is far from over. The director of the organisation Terre des Femmes weighs in on the current situation.Terre des Femmes (French, which translates as “Women’s Earth”) is a non-profit women’s rights organisation that was founded in Hamburg in 1981. Christa Stolle has been the director of the organisation since 1990.

Christa Stolle: It is not very good. We still have a long way ahead of us, especially when it comes to women and girls in non-Western countries. There is still much to do concerning violence against women.

It is estimated that nearly 50,000 underage girls are forced into marriage every day. Laws discriminating against women exist in 155 countries, according to a World Bank survey. In 32 states, a woman can’t apply for a passport without the consent of her husband. Those are great injustices that must be eradicated.

But even in Germany, every fourth woman is affected by domestic violence. I believe we need better laws to achieve equality between men and women.

In which countries do you see the situation as particularly critical?

In Saudi Arabia, for sure, where every woman must have a male guardian — a father, brother or husband. It reflects the fact that women are considered second-class citizens.

Then, of course, we have to take into account the humanitarian crises in regions such as Syria or Iraq where women are subjected to massive sexual violence.

Also, the tradition of female genital mutilation, which entails massive health and sexual restrictions for women, is still present in many African countries, where the right to sexual self-determination is ignored.

What are women rights’ activists fighting for around the world?

For equality but also for democratization in their countries, which is for many activists just as important as the fight for women’s rights. Women want to participate in democratic governments, peace negotiations, business decisions and public affairs. And in many places in the world, they are being denied that and are told to stay home and look after the children.

The fight against violence and patriarchal structures are common to all women’s movements. In Germany, for instance, there are some extremely patriarchal structures in the so-called parallel societies, where girls are denied participation in class excursions, they are forcibly veiled and being prepared for a life at home with a husband and children from very early age.

As feminists, we can not tolerate that. All girls and women must have the right to self-determination and free life.

What is common to women’s suffering worldwide? 

Women are severely restricted by men’s violence towards them, which you can clearly see when you look at the life stories of women who come to women’s shelters. They go through years of humiliation before they finally say enough! I think that is common to women all around the world.

In Germany, thankfully, the infrastructure is better than in other parts of the world. Women can come to shelters and use services of counseling centers. Women in Africa or South American can’t rely on a support system like that.

What possibilities are there for women to get involved in the cause?

There are many dedicated women in countries all around the world who work on projects that help recognize local problems and find solutions. But such individuals and initiatives need aid from wealthier countries so they can finance their programs and receive a salary.

In my opinion, even more aid must flow in to empower girls and women, to educate them and show them how to defend themselves against unjust structures and how to build new ones.

Terre des Femmes, for instance, supports a shelter in Sierra Leone, where girls can turn to when violence in a family dramatically increases or when they must escape imminent genital mutilation.

Armenian president awards women on the occasion of March 8

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Official press release by the office of President of ArmeniaIn the run-up to Women’s Day, President Serzh Sargsyan and Mrs. Rita Sargsyan hosted today mothers of many children and a group of women who have excelled in various spheres with fruitful and dedicated work.

The President of Armenia congratulated the guests and, in their person, all Armenian women on the upcoming holiday. A number of women were encouraged with high State awards, while the mothers of many children were presented with the Parental Glory Medal and materials incentives for setting up and strengthening families, providing for their children’ physical, spiritual and moral well-being and harmonious development.

“Dear Awardees,
Dear Women,

I cordially congratulate you on the receipt of high State awards and, of course, on the occasion of tomorrow’s holiday, which will last for a whole month and then all year up to next March 8.

No society can be described as modern and up-to-date if it fails to strengthen women’s role in public life, and where women are not serious players. Our historical experience suggests that our women should be reserved a major role in society. They have that role in our society. Of course, I would like to say that they enjoy a broad involvement in public life, but that work is part of our future work.

I am deeply convinced that every year, women should take part in local or State elections, women should participate in the elections every time, and their role must certainly increase. But there is one circumstance here: women themselves should want it.

In many cases women do not want to be actively involved in social and political life. It may be the fault of the whole society, maybe the problem of men. Nevertheless, I have always called for and urge women to actively participate in our country’s construction. It is very important. And though my words were not able to state exactly that there is no great involvement, but we are on the right path: every year our women are represented at all levels of government and there is no sphere in the country where women are not represented.

 

Once again, I cordially congratulate you for the awards and on the Holiday. I wish you could always be feminine, to give warmth, enthusiasm and, of course, soberness to all of us – to the society and to men. This is a very important circumstance. Thank you for being here today. Once again, I congratulate all of you,” President Sargsyan said.

After the solemn award ceremony, President Serzh Sargsyan had a meeting with the women at the tea table.

The President proposed them to present their views, remarks, proposals concerning women’s role in the State, their social and political life and the steps to be taken to enhance involvement in the system of public administration.

American Armenian float this year dedicated to the women who ‘make a difference’

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Armenian American float

Armenian American float

jeff landa

The 2018 Pasadena Tournament of Roses Parade will once again feature a float by the American Armenian Rose Float Assn., this time showcasing the theme “Armenian Roots.”

The float was designed by association board member Johnny Kanounji and includes the bust of a woman holding a sprouting pomegranate tree. She is wearing traditional Armenian headgear and garments decorated with cultural symbols, motifs and colors.

Mary Der-Parseghian, another association board member, said the group wanted to put together a cultural float and make it an educational piece for the world to learn about Armenian culture.

The tournament’s official theme is “Making a Difference” to highlight those who contribute to their communities, however that community is defined, and never ask for recognition.

“Since this year’s theme for the tournament was about giving back without any expectations, we thought of the Armenian woman: the mom, the sister, the daughter who always has a commitment to their family and community without any expectations,” she said.

The association went through the local Armenian community and selected nine women who “have given back to the community” to be featured as float riders.

They are Hermine Janoyan, who has received numerous awards for public service; Grace Stepanian, a third-year student at Cal State Los Angeles; Telma Ghazarian Altoon, an ultra-marathon competitor; Ramella Markarian, vice president of business development at Adventist Health Glendale; Alina Dorian, an adjunct assistant professor at UCLA, as well as Sylvia Minassian, Sirvard Chimayan, Alice Petrossian, and Carmen Azinian Libaridian

Southern California-based Phoenix Decorating Co. is in charge of constructing the float, which is expected to cost roughly $250,000.

Float decorations began Dec. 2. As New Year’s Day approaches, about 600 volunteers are working all-day shifts to complete the finishing touches, Der-Parseghian said.

The association first entered a float in 2015 and took home the tournament’s President’s Award for “most effective floral use and presentation.” This past New Year’s Day, it earned a second trophy for “best design and best use of floral and non-floral design.”

For more information about the organization’s 2018 float or to make a donation, visit aarfa.org.

Source: http://www.latimes.com/socal/glendale-news-press/news/tn-gnp-me-aarfa-float-20171226-story.html

 

Missing Yazidi women and children hiding in plain sight

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While the “Islamic State” (IS) has lost most of its cities in Iraq and Syria, thousands of Yazidis it kidnapped are still missing. Activists say some are being hidden within IS families. Judit Neurink reports from Irbil.

Almost half of the over 6,000 Yazidis kidnapped three years ago by the IS group have still not been found. Yet many of them are hidden in plain sight, aid workers and Yazidi activists say, living with Arab families who have sought refuge in Internally Displaced Person (IDP) camps.

Forced to convert to Islam, they now fear for their lives if they are found, aid worker and Yazidi activist Mirza Dinaye says. He is calling for an active search and for the Yazidis to be returned to their families.

They are victims of the IS policy to eradicate the Yazidi faith, he says. “We know they are completely assimilated into the Muslim community. They think the Yazidi faith has been eradicated, and often suffer from Stockholm syndrome,” — a special, often intimate relationship between victims and kidnappers.

That was the case for Mediha Ibrahim, 13, a Yazidi girl kidnapped by IS in August 2014, who spent the next three years living with the families of Turkish IS fighters in their stronghold of Talafar. During that time, they turned her into a Muslim.

Sold to Turkish IS families

“I forgot my Kurdish,” she admits in Turkish as she devours a pizza in a restaurant outside the camp in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq where she has recently been reunited with her uncles along with two of her brothers who were helped to escape. Her parents and another brother are still missing, but the latter has been identified in pictures posted on the Facebook account of an IS fighter. Just like Mediha, her brother has been taken into the fighter’s family and hidden away.

Mediha’s first Turkish owner in Talafar, Abu Yousef, had three wives and several children. “He beat me and sold me to another family,” she says. She stayed a bit longer with Abu Ali and his wife Fatima, who came from Bursa in Turkey, before they sold her to Abu Ahmed and Zahida from Konya. She was given a new name, Hadjar. By that time, she had taught herself Turkish and been sent to school to learn Arabic. She prayed five times a day and enjoyed reading the Quran.

She was told she could never go back to her family and that it would be better to forget about them altogether. “I felt like a Muslim, not like a Yazidi. They said that my family would kill me if they found out I had left our faith.”

Source: http://www.dw.com/en/missing-yazidi-women-and-children-hiding-in-plain-sight/a-41425642

Tourism report signals wider issues for women in Turkey

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A South Korean tourist takes a selfie as she visits the Ottoman-era Sultan Ahmet Mosque, also known as the Blue Mosque, in Istanbul, Turkey, June 10, 2016. (photo by REUTERS/Murad Sezer)

By Pinar Tremblay,

In an article that could deliver a further blow to Turkey’s ailing tourism sector and international image, Forbes magazine on July 28 described Turkey as one of the 10 most dangerous places for solo female travelers.

The article, which ranked Turkey ninth, was based on the travel website Trip.com’s country evaluations in March, adding in information from US State Department warnings. The Trip.com website, while generally rating Turkey poorly, also features remarkably positive reviews of the country and of Istanbul — reportedly now Europe’s cheapest city to stay in — by several female and male travelers.

The Forbes’ piece hit a nerve with Turkey’s Justice and Development Party (AKP) government. Pro-AKP media outlets pronounced the article to be presumptuous and untrustworthy. The daily Hurriyet said the story had provoked a wide reaction in Turkey, without clarifying the exact nature of this response or explaining what critics found objectionable in the ranking.

The hospitality industry has taken a series of serious hits in the last two years, including terror attacks and the failed coup attempt of July 2016. According to Tourism and Culture Ministry statistics, Turkey received nearly 36 million foreign visitors in 2014, with the number going down about 200,000 the following year. In 2016, the number of foreign visitors sank to nearly 25.3 million. The numbers appear to be dropping even more this year; in the first half of 2016, slightly over 11 million visitors were reported to have visited Turkey.

On Aug. 1, the ministry issued a press release about the Forbes article, saying it involved misperceptions that have “targeted Turkey for some time.” The ministry accused the article of being based on speculation rather than fact and charged that it deliberately sought to portray Turkey as a dangerous destination for women to influence the way the international community sees the country. Yet the statement, presented by the pro-AKP media as “a severe response by the ministry to Forbes,” did not provide data to counter Forbes’ arguments or to assure the international community that Turkey is a safe and hospitable destination for solo female travelers. The ministry’s statement did not even mention traveling solo. In this case, what was not said is the crux of the matter.

The owner of one of the most prominent tourism firms in Turkey, who spoke with Al-Monitor on condition of anonymity, said, “I believe what bothered the government about the Forbes’ report is the issue of security. They have totally disregarded that the matter was about solo female travelers. Indeed, I am not even sure if they ever wonder what kind of services they could provide for solo female travelers or gay or transgender tourists so that they would feel safe and welcome in Turkey. Istanbul used to host one of the biggest Gay Pride marches in Europe for years. For the last few years, what gets in the international press is news of police brutality in those marches. Conference tourism is almost dead. This is significant because about half of the participants in conferences were solo female travelers.”

The Forbes ranking comes after a decade of AKP policies that have been pushing women out of public spaces. Most of the party’s base would say that a good woman’s place is in the house — unless the woman happens to be working for the AKP or other religious causes. The party’s moves to push women out of public view and Islamicize the image and rhetoric of the public arena have left their marks.

For over a decade, government officials in Turkey have been telling women to get married as soon as possible, not to seek divorce, to have as many kids as they can, not to wear makeup or even laugh in public. Indeed, we have heard advice for pregnant women to avoid walking out of the house and for women to seek a means of transportation that is only for females. In the last year, random attacks on women in parks, buses or other public spaces have become commonplace. The pressure has become so heavy that the hashtag #Kiyafetimekarisma (Don’t mess with my outfit) was a trending topic on social media for days and there have been several protests in major cities demanding freedom to dress as one wishes. Sexual and physical attacks as well as murder of women are on the rise in Turkey and the perpetuators often get off lightly.

Al-Monitor spoke with several seasoned female travelers who have been to Turkey multiple times as well as young women who visited Turkey once. Although none of them visited Turkey as “solo travelers,” all of them, at one point or other, had to walk alone at some point during their visit. When asked about safety concerns, none of them felt any danger in Turkey, but admitted that they had been “worried” or “concerned” at times. Some said that the reason for their initial worry was the rape and murder of Pippa Bacca, an Italian artist, in 2008, and the murder of Sarai Sierra, an American in Istanbul.

In both incidents, locals questioned why these women had traveled alone, as traveling solo for women is not the norm in Turkey.

Women travelers, except the ones who lived in Turkey for some time, told Al-Monitor that one of their biggest impressions about Turkey was that Turkish women refrained from talking to them. For the women travelers, that signaled a wider issue about Turkey and Turks: This is a male-dominated society, from taxi drivers to shopkeepers. It was mostly men who would do the talking. In rural areas, local women would rarely engage foreigners.

This, in turn, raises concern that the number of women in Turkish public spaces — city centers, bazaars, bars — is gradually diminishing. Therefore, women who dare to be present and active in public face higher risks.

New technologies have also made the uglier side of life more visible. For example, there was an incident where a young woman was beaten up on a bus while other passengers just looked on without interfering. Several drivers and their assistants on intercity buses were caught on cameras masturbating over and even ejaculating on sleeping female passengers.

The above and other similar news indicate that traveling or just being in public in Turkey for women has become much more difficult with or without a headscarf. Dressing modestly would help minimize visibility but it will not guarantee safety on the street. One Omani college student from the United States who was visiting Istanbul told Al-Monitor, “We were at an upscale halal restaurant [not serving alcohol] with my family and I went upstairs to go to the bathroom; a middle-aged man coming out of men’s bathroom groped me, but I could not say anything as I did not want my dad to get into a fight. The man was a customer dining with his family, with daughters about my age.”

Jenny White, a professor at Stockholm University’s Institute for Turkish Studies, is a keen observer of Turkish culture and politics who has researched, lived in and written about Turkey. Asked about changing risk factors for female travelers, White told Al-Monitor, “You may no longer be able to rely on ordinary citizens to step in and help you.”

She added that in Turkish society, there was “savage hatred” between different groups of people and an inability to rely on other people for help, as well as a sense of impunity that if you do something to someone else, you won’t be held accountable.

Robyn Eckhardt, a food and travel journalist and cookbook author who has traveled in Turkey extensively to do research for her book, highlighted the hospitality in rural areas, particularly in the southeast. She said, “I think there is a changing risk factor for any foreign traveler in Turkey caused by pronouncements from various members of the governing party about ‘foreign plots’ to destabilize Turkey and ‘foreign spies’ traveling around the country. Some people are likely to take such ‘warnings’ seriously, and if they do, this will not have good implications for visitors.”

Despite the social turmoil and difficulties faced by local and foreign women, Turkey remains an intriguing travel destination with a vibrant young culture. It is not fair to list Turkey as one of the 10 most dangerous places to travel for women. It is crucial, however, to raise a red flag that rising xenophobia and misogyny are leading to the isolation of the country in all aspects. What can the solo female travelers do then? Stay sober, appear strong and in control at all times and be vigilant even at halal restaurants.

Pinar Tremblay is a columnist for Al-Monitor’s Turkey Pulse and a visiting scholar of political science at California State Polytechnic University, Pomona. She is a columnist for Turkish news outlet T24. Her articles have appeared in Time, New

Montebello Community to Host ‘Women of 1915’ Screening

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Women of 1915’ Screening Armenoid Productions announced the Montebello Premiere of the multi-award winning documentary film, Women of 1915. The red carpet event is sponsored by the Armenian Nation Committee of America- San Gabriel Valley Chapter in collaboration with Armenian Relief Society – Western USA, Ani & Nairy Chapters. The event is scheduled at the Montebello Armenian Center, on Thursday, July 27 at 7 p.m.
A limited number of seats to the Montebello premiere of Women of 1915 are available and may be purchased online or by calling 818-939-9282. With much anticipation, four-time regional Emmy award winning filmmaker Bared Maronian’s documentary film, Women of 1915, is the first documentary ever to unveil the role of the Armenian women of the era who lived through the horrors of the first Genocide of the 20th century.
The documentary also highlights the integral role of heroic American and European humanitarian women advocates who flocked into the killing fields of the Armenian Genocide and saved tens of thousands of lives, empowering the Armenian women as pillars of war-torn, post-Genocide societies.
“We’ve shown the film literally around the world: All the way from Australia to France, the U.K., many Canadian and American cities, where we have received rave reviews in local main stream publications. Soon we will be screening the film in Argentina, Brazil and Uruguay.
I’m thrilled that on July 27, we are bringing this important film to the Montebello community and very grateful to the local ARS and ANCA for sponsoring this event.” said Maronian. Women of 1915 is the winner of the 2016 Golden Pom Award and 2016 Best Documentary Award at the Pomegranate Film Festival of Toronto, Canada and the 2016 Armin T. Wegener Humanitarian Award Winner at the ARPA Film Festival of Hollywood, California.
“I’m very thankful to the Montebello community for this opportunity. It will be a beautiful event: elegant red carpet reception, screening of the film on a giant, state of the art projection system, followed by a Q & A with the filmmaker” said event organizing committee chair, Nayiri Attarian.
“it’s true that Women of 1915 deals with an Armenian story, but in reality it is an American story, a European story, a human story and that’s why a good portion of our audience has been non-Armenian. So please, invite your friends and neighbors to see Women of 1915 with you. After all, it was their grandmothers who saved Armenian lives”, concluded Maronian. The event will take place at the Montebello Armenian Center: 410 Washington Blvd., Montebello, CA 90640. Doors open at 6:30pm, red carpet reception starts at 7 p.m., movie starts at 8 p.m. followed by a Q&A session. For more information on the Women of 1915 Montebello Premiere, contact 818-939-9282 or info@armenoidteam.com

Research: Genes of Armenian women showed no upheaval over last 8,000 years

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Armenian women GenesMitochondrial DNA of Armenian women has not undergone any upheaval over the last 8,000 years, researchers from Centre for GeoGenetics at the Natural History Museum of Denmark revealed.

Mitochondria are passed from mothers to their children. Therefore, the study of mitochondrial genomes enables scientists to trace the unique history of females over time, eurekalert.org reported.

“We analyzed many ancient and modern mitochondrial genomes in parts of the South Caucasus and found genetic continuity for at least 8,000 years,” said Ashot Margaryan and Morten E. Allentoft from Centre for GeoGenetics at the Natural History Museum of Denmark. “In other words, we could not detect any changes to the female gene pool over this very long time frame. This is highly interesting because this region has experienced multiple cultural shifts over the same time period, but these changes do not appear to have had a genetic impact–at least not on the female population.”

To shed light on the maternal genetic history of the region, the researchers analyzed the complete mitochondrial genomes of 52 ancient skeletons from present-day Armenia and Artsakh. Those specimens span 7,800 years of history. Allentoft’s team combined this new data with 206 mitochondrial genomes of modern Armenians and previously published data representing more than 480 individuals from seven neighboring populations.

The findings imply that the female population in at least some parts of the South Caucasus has been highly stable through many cultural shifts that have occurred over thousands of years. They also suggest that documented migrations into this region during the last 2,000 to 3,000 years have had little genetic impact on the local female population.

Iraqi Kurdish women Self-immolations on the rise

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By Laurène Daycard

Female Kurdish fighters, who represent less than 1% of the roughly 200,000 peshmerga forces, have become “the bankable icon” of the fight against the Islamic State. But beyond the illusions of a land that supports women’s rights, the reality in Iraqi Kurdistan is much less glamorous.

According to nongovernmental organization Wadi, 57% of Iraqi Kurds between 14 and 19 years old underwent an excision of the clitoris. Honor killings by male family members are still common in Kurdistan, and many other women face forced and underage marriage, domestic violence or polygamy issues. Worse still, since the early 1990s, several thousand Iraqi Kurds died of self-immolation. In 2015, the Kurdistan Regional Government listed 125 deaths by self-immolation. In most cases, deaths are concealed behind the excuse of a random home accident, but Bahar Munzir, a popular activist for the rights of Kurdish women, told Al-Monitor that 500 such deaths occur each year.

Sarab, 19, is a survivor. When she was 11 years old, her father died and she had to respect her mother’s decision to marry a man who was 14 years older than her. In regard to the night that followed the wedding ceremony, she told Al-Monitor, “A girl should develop physically before uniting.” Two years later, she gave birth to her first daughter. Her mother-in-law dictated her life, but Sarab never complained. “For fear of divorce,” she said. Her husband became more and more violent, and desired another woman. Sarab thought about polygamy, which is illegal in Iraqi Kurdistan but still practiced. However, her husband preferred to divorce, remarry, and keep the child he had with Sarab. Barely 18 at the time but looking like she was 30, Sarab took refuge in her mother’s house. One evening, after she found out that her child had been treated badly, she took a lighter, covered herself in oil and set fire to herself.

In Iraqi Kurdistan, a violent husband faces up to three years in prison and a fine of about $4,000. In 2011, the Kurdish parliament approved the so-called Law 8 that prohibits many of the abuses women face, such as forced marriage, forced divorce, shigar marriage (in which men exchange their daughters or sisters in marriage without paying a dowry) and genital mutilation. “Law 8 is the best in all of the Middle East,” insisted Shokhan Hama Rashid Ahmad, a Kurdish consultant lawyer for the United Nations. For example, the law prohibits cutting a piece of the human body but does not deal specifically with excision.

Women represent less than 10% of the judges and are absent in the party offices of the Kurdistan Democratic Party of President Massoud Barzani, according to a study by NGO People’s Development Organization. Since the beginning of the war against IS, NGOs defending women’s rights face increasing difficulties as they are overwhelmed by the sheer volume of offenses.

“Humanitarian workers focus on refugees and internally displaced persons,” Diana Kako, the deputy director of Erbil-based NGO Al-Mesalla, told Al-Monitor.

Al-Mesalla currently supports Fatima, an Iraqi Kurdish woman who wears a niqab. Fatima talked to Al-Monitor about her situation and said that her husband, a taxi driver, asked her to wear the full-face veil until her skin is “fixed.” “I was a very beautiful woman. I wore the scarf because I wanted to,” she said. But in April 2015, her husband expressed doubts about her loyalty, suspecting that she flirted with another man by intercepting text messages. Fatima sank into depression and immolated herself — 37% of her body is burned.

Fatima, an oncology nurse, told her friends and acquaintances that it was a cooking accident. “They say that God wanted to punish me because I drove a car and wore golden jewelry. I was showing off in their opinion,” she said in a tired voice. What if she told the truth? Shala Abdullah, a social worker with Al-Mesalla, told Al-Monitor, “In our culture, if you say that you are burned, we think that it’s because you were not a respectful woman. We wonder what you did to want to kill yourself.” Fatima gets up, feverish, and gives a long handshake. She went $9,000 in debt for her plastic surgery operation. “At the time, I didn’t realize that I was either going to die or to suffer forever,” she said.

In Sulaimaniyah, eastern Iraqi Kurdistan, a public hospital treats victims of immolation at no cost. During Al-Monitor’s visit, cries of pain are heard when wounds are disinfected before being bandaged again. Patients suffer tremendously during the months that they spend healing. One patient who is in her 20s said she got married when she was 19 years old. To the question if she married out of love, she responded, “What do you think? That this is what happens in marriages?”

Sarab lies on an iron bed covered from her head to her thighs in bandages; her face has escaped the flames. Her brother, a peshmerga fighter, promised her, “I am going to issue a complaint against your ex-husband.” Revived by such a hope, Sarab said, “I want to raise my daughters alone.”