As part of our big project with the UN Trust Fund to End Violence against Women, we’ve created a new awareness-raising video to highlight the dangers of drug addiction for women and girls.
Rising dependence on drugs is known to be one of the key causes of increased cases of violence against women and girls in Iraq, and our video aims to show the dangers of trying drugs, which can quickly spiral into full-scale addiction.
As you can see in our campaign story, young women who become desperate for their next ‘fix’ often spend all their money or even steal from loved ones to pay for drugs. When they can no longer afford to pay, they are often coerced into sexual servitude, beaten or blackmailed by drug dealers. Feelings of shame and fear of the consequences then prevent women from seeking help from family and friends, causing the spiral to deepen further.
The UN’s National Strategy to Combat Violence against Women 2018- 2030 sets out to include newly emerged social issues such as drug addiction, organised crime, and suicide, all of which have become a major contributing factor accounting for different forms of violence against women and girls.
The anti-narcotics authority in Kurdistan recently announced that it had confiscated more than 50kg of methamphetamines – known commonly as crystal meth – which has become one of the widely trafficked illicit drugs across the country. Other drugs rising in prevalence include Methadone and Captagon pills, a methamphetamine-like stimulant which can cause high blood pressure, hallucinations and blurred vision.
Kurdistan 24 previously reported that 80% of drug users in the Kurdistan Region are between 18 and 35 years old, while 10% of drug users are women and 4% are under 18. In April 2023, the KRG's Ministry of Finance and Economy founded a Drug and Psychotropic Substances Fund, which aims to provide treatments for substance abusers as well as financial rewards to those who hand over illegal drugs to local authorities.
For those caught up in the web of drug addiction, women’s organisations like the Lotus Flower, health authorities and the police can also provide support, which is the message we are trying to get to as many people as possible with this video.
As well as raising awareness of gender-based violence and its many causes, our partnership with UNTF has also been supporting victims with mental health and case management services, as well as providing small business support.
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