Death threats and isolation - the cost of fighting sexual violence in Iraq
Iraqi activist Sarah Jassim uses social media to document and expose sexual harassment in Baghdad, despite facing severe personal threats. She advocates for stronger legal protections and the criminalization of gender-based violence in Iraq.
Why it matters
The story highlights the dangerous reality for women's rights activists in conservative societies and the lack of legal frameworks to address systemic sexual violence.
Image caption, "Your camera is your weapon," says Sarah Jassim, who says the videos she posts help document evidence of harassment
This story contains details of sexual violence which some readers may find upsetting
"Get out of the car!" screams a woman, accusing a driver of exposing himself and making obscene comments as she walked by. She is filming the scene in a busy Baghdad street on her phone, and the camera captures him resisting her attempts to open the door as she confronts him .
The video can be seen, with others like it, on the Instagram page of Iraqi women's rights activist Sarah Jassim. She posts them on behalf of women who complain about sexual abuse and harassment by Iraqi men and boys.
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