Violence against Women- Legal & Social Clinic

Violence against Women

v   Legal & Social Clinic

      In March 2006, IAA launched, in cooperation with (UNIFEM), a pioneering project; The Legal and Social Clinic in Baghdad,to provide legal support for victims of violence, and to disseminate legal and social awareness amongst women and women’s groups.

      The project has achieved a solid reputation among various women communities, the media and other communities, for its positive role in the dissemination of constitutional education and legal awareness on the personal status law in particular, and other laws, among various social groups, through channels of civil society organisations and state institutions activities.Despite the fact that the financing for the project stopped at the end of February 2007, the clinic continued to hold several extensive meetings in ministries, governmental institutions and municipal councils, and to effectively participate in conferences and workshops for NGOs in Baghdad and in other governorates, as well as providing individual legal counseling to women victims of domestic violence.

      Also, another project was carried out in Najaf in 2006, under the name of:  The Mobile Legal and Social Clinic on Violence against Women, with the participation of the Association. 40 inspections were organized to include a number of districts, suburbs and villages as well as the center of the governorate, and some official offices,where many cases of violence against women were monitored and documented,including some of the personal status court cases and others cases. Then discussion on panel was held to discuss the results of the clinic’s work, with the attendance of specialists , tribe leaders and representatives of civil society organisations, the discussion was concluded with several recommendations.

      Subsequent meetings and visits to a number of governmental institutions and NGOs were held, in order to explain the recommendations of the discussion panel and gain support.