There are several womens rights group that focus on Kurdish women. With the history of Kurds living as a minority without a state of their own in the male-dominated patriarchal states and societies of the Middle East, Kurdish women’s needs for equality are unique. [1]
Kurdish Women’s Rights Watch
One prominent Kurdish women’s rights group is the Kurdish Womens Rights Watch (KWRW). Founded in 2004, the group grew out of Kurdish Womens Action Against Honor Killings (KWAHK). Rights Watch monitors and advocates for Kurdish women in relation to honor-based violence as well as for human rights in general.[2] They operate in Kurdish areas as well as in the diaspora, as many Kurdish people have emigrated to other countries. They offer job training and other education to help empower women, and also offer counseling and therapy.
Iranian and Kurdish Women’s Rights Organization
Another important Kurdish women’s group is the Iranian and Kurdish Women’s Rights Organization. Founded in 2002 in the United Kingdom, they provide direct service to women and girls in counseling, job-training, and advocacy. They also work to partner with police schools and other institutions to help better meet the needs of ethnic minority women. They fight against child marriage, female genital mutilation, honor killings, domestic violence, and the systems that enable these practices to happen.[3]