Women Are Paying the Price for Honour

“Women Are Paying the Price for Honour”: Activist Shvan Hassan Condemns Gender-Based Violence in Iraq and Kurdistan

Manchester – 14 July 2025

In a powerful public statement during a peaceful demonstration organized by the Regay Azadi (Path of Freedom) organization, Kurdish activist Shvan Hassan condemned the ongoing violence and systemic oppression faced by women in Iraq and the Kurdistan Region.

Speaking in front of the Iraqi Consulate in Manchester, Hassan stated:

“Instead of blood being shed for dignity, instead of property being given for honour, in Iraq and the Kurdistan Region, women are subjected to cruel treatment and their rights are violated.”

The demonstration, held on 14 July 2025, was aimed at raising awareness of the growing number of so-called “honour killings” and gender-based violence across Kurdistan and Iraq. Participants held signs reading “No to the Killing of Women” and demanded legislative and cultural change to protect women from violence, repression, and patriarchal control.

Shvan Hassan, a member of Regay Azadi, emphasized that this violence is not only a cultural failure but a political one.

The protest was part of a broader campaign by Kurdish diaspora groups in the UK who are increasingly using international platforms to expose injustices occurring under the Kurdish and Iraqi authorities.

Activists demanded accountability, protection for women, and international pressure on the Kurdistan Regional Government and Baghdad to take serious action.

Regay Azadi announced that this demonstration is just the beginning of a broader movement to challenge both state negligence and societal silence when it comes to violence against women.

Video statement link: https://www.facebook.com/share/v/1JNcDcQjWS/