Dr. Twana Abdwlrahman, postdoctoral fellow in CGDS’s masculinities research project, participated in panel discussions on human rights, violence, and equality, in an event hosted by the Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs, with the support of UNFPA, on December 3 2020. Dr. Twana outlined CGDS’s projects and the center’s focus on education, research, capacity building, advocacy, and raising awareness. Additionally, he highlighted the importance of a deeper understanding of gender inequality in Kurdistan, especially through examining how religion, culture, law, literature, and the social institutions define masculinity and femininity, and divide roles, responsibilities, status, and rights between man and woman. The event, which commemorated the Sixteen Days of Activism Against Gender Based Violence, was attended by Her Excellency Ms. Kwestan Mohammed, Minister of Social Affairs, and Dr. Haval Abubakr, Governor of Sulaimani, along with other dignitaries.
Photo description: Four people sit in black chairs in front of a large projected screen, on which the script is too small to make out. From left to right, we see a woman with long dark hair, with a black mask pushed down over her chin; a man with short dark hair wearing a black mask; a woman, who is speaking, with shoulder-length dark hair, a mask pushed down over her chin; and a man with short dark hair, wearing a blue mask. Two coffee tables, with water, tissues, and name cards, are in front of each woman. The four people are flanked by two tall banners in orange, black, and white. The banner behind the woman on the left is illegible. The banner on the right shows a drawing of a woman with dark hair holding her hand, palm out, in front of her face; the word STOP in all-caps in hand-written in red across her hand and chest. Above her are the words, in black font, Make your life beautiful, to stop violence.