Iraqi Kurdistan: Over 600 men reported abused in 2025

Shafaq News– Al-Sulaymaniyah

Iraq’s Kurdistan Region recorded 611 cases of violence against men in 2025, an increase of 14% compared to 2024, the Kurdistan Men’s Union President Burhan Ali told Shafaq News on Sunday.

Ali added that 73 men died by suicide for various social reasons, while 19 others were killed in incidents linked to family or community disputes. He attributed the rise in cases mainly to economic hardship, the influence of social media, and the effects of globalization, “which have reshaped family relations and intensified social pressure.”

Growing isolation and the emergence of “families within families” have also increased psychological and social strain on men, he said.

A five-year study by Iraq’s Ministry of Interior in 2024 found that men account for 27% of reported domestic violence cases nationwide, while cultural stigma and social expectations continue to keep many incidents out of official records.

Read more: Fearing social stigma, Iraqi men suffer domestic violence in silence