Shelters for Women in Iraq

Beyond sheltering survivors of gender based violence, MADRE’s partner in Iraq strategically leverages media to raise awareness of the issue and challenge the harmful social norms that perpetuate it. 

Our partner publishes a monthly newspaper featuring critical analysis, firsthand testimonies, and investigative articles to inform readers and mobilize public debate in support of women’s rights. Their articles challenge misogynistic social norms, document instances of gender violence, and question laws that undermine gender equality. By consistently publishing these perspectives, our partner ensures that women’s rights are part of the national debate, survivors’ voices are heard and respected, and systemic injustice is named and challenged. 

The radio programs our partner broadcasts also advocate for women’s rights, amplify marginalized voices, and foster critical public dialogue on gender justice and peacebuilding. Interviews with activists, lawyers, and analysts, for example, spark debates on workplace discrimination and legal reforms and uplift voices from rural areas, urban centers, and conflict-affected regions. By doing so, our partner brings marginalized perspectives into the national conversation. Listeners frequently send heartfelt messages to the radio’s social media, thanking the radio for tackling sensitive issues like workplace harassment and child marriage—topics often absent from mainstream media.

Collectively, our partner’s newspaper and radio station provide platforms for women’s narratives and experiences, centering and amplifying the voices of survivors of gender based violence. By addressing critical issues related to women’s rights, these media outlets play a vital role in raising awareness, educating the public, and documenting real stories of resilience and injustice. In doing so, MADRE’s partner in Iraq is shifting harmful social norms—asserting that violence and discrimination should not be tolerated, and uplifting women as agents of change.

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