The Women’s Affairs Division organized an awareness seminar as part of a campaign against violence against women, focusing on the types of violence and the constitutional legal guarantees for their protection. The first lecture, delivered by Dr. Asmaa Abdul Hussein, head of the Women’s Affairs Division, addressed laws related to combating violence against women in the United Nations and Arab countries, including Iraq. On August 4, 2020, the seminar discussed the Domestic Violence Prevention Law project and presented Arab and global statistics on this issue. The seminar identified various types of violence, with a focus on psychological and verbal abuse due to its significant impact on the behavior of successive generations. It also discussed domestic violence and violence against mothers, highlighting negative feelings such as abandonment of mothers or sisters and transferring them to nursing homes.

The second lecture, presented by Dr. Wasan Murshid, defined violence as a serious moral and physical behavior accompanied by the intent to harm others. She outlined various forms of violence, including ethical, psychological, social, economic, and verbal abuse, as well as other harmful practices such as depriving women of education and work, forcing them into early marriage, and abortion—practices that have no relation to religion or humanity. The seminar also addressed electronic violence, which can lead to the blackmailing of girls and women, affecting families and society in general. It pointed out the reasons that lead to domestic violence, including feelings of inadequacy, unemployment, economic weakness, and substance abuse. The speakers emphasized women’s rights and the need to protect them from all forms of violence, stressing the importance of enacting laws against violence, increasing awareness campaigns, organizing seminars and scientific workshops, and enhancing the topic of women’s protection within civil society organizations, Iraqi universities, cultural and artistic gatherings. They also urged individuals to seek help from security authorities and relevant agencies when witnessing incidents of violence in any location.