MÎHRÎBAN SELAM KAKAYÎ

Halabja – Femicide rates are increasing in Southern Kurdistan day by day. Two women, both 20 years old, were killed recently. One of them was killed in Akre and the other fell down from the roof of her house while discussing with her husband. Many people react to the rise of femicide. Naze Şirvan, social consultant of the People's Organization and the Women's Center, warned that violence against women should be reduced. “NGOs should seriously work to reduce violence against women and femicide and the use of guns should be banned by law,” she told NuJINHA.

“The use of guns is the main cause”

Naze drew attention to the causes of rising violence against women and femicide, “There are different causes of femicide. The main cause is that everyone has a gun. There is no law to ban the use of guns. Everyone can freely have a gun. The other cause of femicide is the lack of awareness of the citizens. The patriarchal mentality prevents women from having an opinion and from taking part in society and culture. This causes the death of women in their 20s in Akre and Soran,” Naze said.

“Perpetrators receive low sentences”

Naze thinks the cause of rising femicide is the absence of laws. “The perpetrators of femicide receive low sentences due to the absence of laws. And this is another cause of rising femicide. The courts should fulfill their responsibilities. Criminals who killed women must serve full sentences without a sentence reduction. This is the solution to femicide. Women cannot defend themselves when they face violence. The NGOs should fulfill their responsibilities in order to prevent femicide.”