On August 19, the UK’s Consulate General in Erbil organized an event addressing digital threats to women’s political participation in the upcoming October 2024 Kurdistan Region parliamentary elections.

The workshop was held in Erbil with the participation of politicians, officials, journalists, civil society organizations, and international experts.

The Kurdistan Region will hold parliamentary elections on October 20, after several delays since October 2022.

“I emphasized the need for supportive measures to ensure women’s full participation in the political process,” Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) Minister of Interior Reber Ahmed Khalid wrote in a post on X. 

“I also reiterated the KRG’s commitment to creating a safe and secure environment for all candidates, particularly women, in the lead-up to the October elections.”

The UK Consulate General in Erbil on X said they were “pleased to host a discussion with the KRG, political parties, and civil society on enhancing protections for female candidates against cyber harassment” in the lead up to the October elections.

In my speech at “Addressing Digital Threats to Women’s Political Participation in 2024 elections” organized by @HighHcwa and @ukinerbil, I emphasized the need for supportive measures to ensure women's full participation in the political process. I also reiterated the #KRG's… pic.twitter.com/YJt1oiCe4X

— Rêber Ahmed (@RayberAhmed) August 19, 2024

During the event UK Consul General Andrew Bizley stressed that women candidates must be protected from harassment and that they “hope to continue coordination with the High Council for Women and Development to protect women from harassment.”

For this reason, the KRG has set up a new committee chaired by the High Council for Women and Development to support and protect women during the election campaign.