LocationsIraq Strengthens Its Institutional Response to Technology-Facilitated Violence Against Women and Girls
August 20, 2026
Baghdad, 18 August 2026 – Iraq’s Ministry of Interior, in cooperation with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and with support from the Korean National Police Agency (KNPA), convened a preparatory consultation workshop on technology-facilitated violence against women and girls (TFGBV). The workshop brought together 16 officers and personnel representing the General Directorate for Training and Rehabilitation, the Directorate of Relations and Media, the Family and Child Protection Directorate, the Community Police Directorate, the Planning and Follow-up Directorate, the Cybersecurity Directorate, and the Women’s Affairs Section.
Discussions focused on building a shared understanding of the nature and manifestations of technology-facilitated violence against women and girls in the Iraqi context, distinguishing it from cybercrime more broadly, and exploring ways to strengthen an integrated institutional response with clearly defined roles, responsibilities, and case pathways—from receiving reports and assessing risks and protection needs, through investigation and the collection and preservation of digital evidence, to coordination, referral, and follow-up.
The workshop builds on earlier consultations convened by UNDP with Iraq’s Supreme Judicial Council on technology-facilitated violence against women and girls and forms part of broader engagement with relevant criminal justice institutions to strengthen a coordinated institutional response to this form of violence. These efforts reflect UNDP’s participatory approach to supporting Iraqi-led solutions grounded in the needs and operational priorities of national institutions.
Participants discussed key legal, procedural, and capacity gaps and identified initial priorities for developing a specialized training programme and an awareness campaign focused on prevention, encouraging reporting, and promoting safe access to protection and response services.
The outcomes of these consultations will inform the development of sustainable institutional tools and capacities, recognizing that technology-facilitated violence causes real and tangible harm to women and girls and requires a coordinated response encompassing prevention, protection, investigation, and institutional cooperation, while avoiding victim-blaming, stigma, and further harm.