Kurdistan Region’s social alarm: 500+ men abused in 2025

Shafaq News – Erbil

More than 500 cases of violence against men were recorded in the Kurdistan Region during the first ten months of 2025, the Kurdistan Men’s Union announced on Wednesday.

Union President Burhan Faraj told Shafaq News that 529 cases of women’s assaults against men were documented during this period, adding that 45 men died by suicide for various social reasons, while 17 others were killed in incidents linked to family or community disputes.

He attributed the rise in cases primarily to economic hardship, the influence of social media, and the impact of globalization, which have reshaped family dynamics and increased social pressures. Growing isolation and the emergence of “families within families” have also intensified psychological and social strain on men.

Faraj called on the relevant authorities to take urgent steps to address the causes of rising domestic tensions and to develop plans to curb violence and social instability affecting families in the Region.

A five-year study by Iraq’s Ministry of Interior found that men account for 27% of reported domestic violence cases in the country, with cultural stigma and social expectations causing many incidents to go unreported.

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