Discrimination against women occurs globally, but is all the more damaging when compounded with ethnic, religious or other forms of discrimination. Women in the Kurdish regions and diaspora, therefore, face an uphill struggle as they attempt to tackle discrimination on several fronts. Located in the strategically important region spanning the borders of Turkey, Iraq, Iran and Syria, millions of Kurdish women continue to witness the devastating effects of wars, military attacks and economic embargoes.

Against this backdrop, Kurdish women have been pushing hard to achieve the enforcement of human rights. The Charter for the Rights and Freedoms of Women in the Kurdish Regions and Diaspora has been continually developed to ensure that it appropriately identifies the needs and wishes of women in the Kurdish regions and diaspora. International and domestic bodies are urged to consider seriously the domestic incorporation of the rights and needs identified in the Charter in both letter and spirit.