Assist Safe Houses for Women in Iraq

You can help women and girls who are survivors of gender-based violence or are threatened with "honor killing" by providing a means and social support to escape dangererous circumstances and begin to build a new life. Your gift to this project offers transportation, shelter, necessities, and medical care to women and children escaping violent situations in communities throughout Iraq.

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The Need

In Iraq, organized assaults on women in the public sphere are on the rise. In many areas, Islamist militants now patrol the streets, beating and harassing women who are not “properly” dressed or behaved. Girls are being kept out of school and many women are now forbidden by their families to be in public without a male escort. The sharp rise in harassment, abduction, and rape has made women afraid to leave their homes.

"Honor killings," which occur when a male relative murders a woman who has made autonomous decisions about issues such as marriage, divorce, and whether and with whom to have sex, have also increased. Further compounding this horrifying situation is the fact that under Iraqi law, these killings are not even considered murder: if a killer can demonstrate that his motive was restoring family honor tarnished by the woman’s transgressions, his sentence is usually less than one year.

Proof of Impact

For the sponsorship for the provision of food for one week for a shelter resident, you will receive the woman’s name, her age, and the name of the city in which the shelter is located.

For the sponsorship of security and transportation for a woman who is targeted for "honor killing," you will receive the name of the person, her age, and information about the situation she is fleeing from.

For sponsoring an annual supply of linens and bedding for one shelter, you will receive a list of the items purchased.

MADRE is an international women's human rights organization that works in partnership with community-based women's organizations worldwide to address issues of economic and environmental justice, women’s health and violence against women, and peace building. MADRE provides resources, training, and support to enable our sister organizations to meet concrete needs in their communities and develop long-term solutions to the crises they face. MADRE addresses the negative impacts of US actions abroad and empowers people in the US to challenge and change destructive government policies. Since its inception in 1983, MADRE has delivered 25 million dollars worth of support to community-based women's organizations in Latin America, the Caribbean, the Middle East, Africa, Asia, the Balkans, and the United States.

Visit the MADRE website