Women’s Health and Status in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq: A Review

Women in the Kurdistan region of Iraq suffer from various health, social and cultural problems. The poor reproductive health of many women is primarily related to inadequate access and utilization of health services. The maternal mortality rate in Iraq has remained high, and its attributes such as early marriage and childbearing, inadequate birth spacing and high cesarean section rates are constant problems in the region. Women also suffer from different aspects of gender discrimination and women’s rights abuse such as domestic violence, female genital mutilation, self-mutilation, and honor killing. Many of these problems are deeply rooted in the culture, and the efforts against them face many challenges. Improvement of women’s health in the Kurdistan region of Iraq needs an integrated approach that takes into consideration the physical and mental health of women, their families and societies in a holistic way. Interventions should address the cultural and traditional issues sensitively. The strategies to ban harmful behavior, including female genital mutilation and violence against women, need active engagement of the community and educating its members.