Legal and gender experts from Federal Iraq and Kurdistan Region (Iraq/KRI) convened in Erbil for the Iraq Experts Meeting to discuss the Regional Index on Violence against Women and Girls (VAWG) and Women, Peace and Security Agenda (WPSA). The meeting was organized by EuroMed Feminist Initiative (EFI), the Regional Observatory on VAWG (RCSO) and Women Empowerment Organization (WEO).

The experts emphasized the significance of the Regional Index in providing comprehensive data and information to facilitate informed decision-making and actions for VAWG and WPSA in Iraq/KRI. They also discussed the methodology and framework of the Regional Index and agreed on future steps.

The Regional Index is designed to document laws, public policies, and services related to VAWG and WPSA, aligning with international laws and women's rights instruments. It includes a set of indicators to follow up and support the implementation of policies and measures to combat VAWG in seven countries: Algeria, Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, Morocco, Palestine, and Tunisia. The Regional Index adopts a scoring methodology with the participation of legal and experts from governments, academia, and women's organizations from the Index countries.

Iraq was the first country in the Middle East and North Africa region to adopt a National Action Plan for the implementation of United Nations Security Council Resolution 1325 on women, peace, and security (2014-2018), paving the way for the promotion of women's rights in the region. Suzan Aref, Head of WEO, stated that the inclusion of Iraq/KRI in the Regional Index is a decisive step to support their efforts in combating VAWG and implementing the WPSA.