12 May 2021; Erbil, Iraq - UNFPA Gender Equality and Women Empowerment team was joined on 10 May by representatives from the European Regional Development and Protection Programme for Lebanon, Jordan and Iraq (RDPP II) on a virtual visit to the women shelter and 119 hotline in Erbil and the Women and Girls Health and Treatment Centre in Duhok.

During the visit, RDPP representatives got acquainted with the 119 hotline’s process of receiving the calls from survivors of gender-based violence and the mechanisms, especially referral mechanisms, in place to ensure the most efficient response to survivors. In 2020 alone, The 119 hotline run by the General Directorate of Combatting Violence Against Women, under the Ministry of Interior in the Kurdistan Region, received more than 11,000 calls out of which 8,000 were reports of gender-based violence.

The team then was virtually taken to the women shelter in Erbil where they discussed with the shelter managers the challenges faced when receiving referrals from the Supreme Court. They also went over the gaps that need to be filled to provide better service for the women looking for a safe haven. The shelter, which has a capacity of habiting 45 individuals at once, is currently home to 65 women. The shelter management explained the cooperation with the Police and GDCVAW to ensure women who leave the shelter are protected.

The next and final virtual stop was at the Women and Girls Health and Treatment Centre in Duhok. The centre receives eight to ten women for medical treatment on a daily basis and provides integrated medical, psychological and psychosocial services.

UNFPA is currently supporting the capacity building of the centre’s staff on mental health and psychosocial support response including how to ensure stress management and communications skills.

All the facilities visited today are all supported by RDPP II among other donors. 

The European Regional Development and Protection Programme for Lebanon, Jordan and Iraq (RDPP II) is a joint European initiative supported by the Czech Republic, Denmark, the European Union, Ireland and Switzerland.

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UNFPA, the United Nations Population Fund, delivers a world where every pregnancy is wanted, every childbirth is safe and every young person’s potential is fulfilled.

For more information or media inquiries please contact:

Salwa Moussa, Communications Specialist, smoussa@unfpa.org, 00964 780 917 1035