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Multipurpose cash support for complex civil documentation cases in Iraq

In Iraq, obtaining civil documents such as birth certificates, IDs, and nationality certificates remains complex, especially for female-headed households and their children. DRC assists individuals in obtaining these essential documents while providing vital cash support.

Posted on 24 Jun 2024

In Iraq, obtaining civil documents such as birth certificates, IDs, and nationality certificates remains complex and challenging, especially for female-headed households and their children. The difficulties stem from a combination of legal, bureaucratic, and socio-political factors, exacerbated by the aftermath of conflict and displacement.

Iraq’s civil documentation system is governed by a network of laws, including the Nationality Status Law, the National Card Law, and the Personal Status Law. These statutes, though essential, often overlap and sometimes contradict each other, leading to inconsistencies in their implementation across different regions.

Currently, people must apply for civil documents in their area of origin, yet without documentation, many struggle to prove their identity and therefore cannot travel freely within the country due to the multitude of checkpoints.

Female-headed households, particularly those without a spouse due to death, disappearance, or imprisonment, are sometimes perceived as having affiliation to ISIS, further complicating their access to documents. The requirement to undergo a security clearance is both a barrier and a deterrent to obtaining civil documents.

Women with perceived affiliation to ISIS risk being arrested during the application process. This fear of reprisal, alongside social stigma and fear of ill-treatment, dissuades many from undergoing security processes. For those who do pursue a security clearance, extra-legal requirements, such as tabriya, a practice whereby people must formally disown their family, can be a complicated and isolating process.

For children born in areas that were under ISIL control, the requirements for obtaining birth registration and subsequent documents are particularly difficult. The legal process mandates that both parents must appear in court to confirm the child's birth.

In cases where one parent is deceased or missing, the process becomes even more complicated, often requiring additional documentation such as death certificates or DNA tests. Such requirements can be nearly impossible to meet.

Children born from forced marriages and other forms of sexual violence involving ISIS fighters are placed in a precarious legal position. Iraqi law lacks clear provisions to address these cases, often relegating these children to the status of foundlings—an administrative designation that complicates their legal identity and access to documentation.

These complex cases require multiple steps to obtain documentation. The complicated administrative and bureaucratic processes are often inaccessible for many individuals without substantial support.

Women meet with DRC staff to receive the multi-purpose cash support

Displaced communities frequently struggle to earn a secure income, with unreliable daily work often one of the only options. As many women, especially in or from more rural communities, do not commonly work outside the home, this adds another layer of complexity to generating an income.

Accessing Iraq’s social security system can be an essential lifeline. Yet, without documents, women are unable to access vital services including monthly income support and a monthly food distribution system.

DRC, with funding from the European Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operation (ECHO), provides extensive legal programming throughout Iraq, assisting women with some of the most complex cases to obtain vital documents.

Yet, even with the support of DRC, this process can take many weeks or even months.

DRC therefore implements holistic programming, offering short-term multi-purpose cash assistance to people with complex cases. This ensures that vulnerable women and their children have access to basic cash support whilst their documents are processed.

Zhara’s story

Originally from Baqooba, a town in Diyala in central Iraq, Zhara is a 37-year-old mother of six. She moved to Baghdad after getting married but was displaced in 2006 and returned to Baqooba with her family, a place she once again considers home.

Just two years after their displacement, in 2008, the family’s world was once again turned upside down when Zhara’s husband, Ahmed, was arrested. He was released in 2012 but subsequently arrested two years later and remains in prison to this day.

Confident of her husband’s innocence, Zhara hired a lawyer. “I’ve been trying to advocate for my husband since 2008 and I am still paying a lawyer to look into his case as he is wrongly accused.”

Since her husband's first arrest, she has taken on the role of the head of the household. To support her children, Zhara began baking breads and pastries, selling them to her neighbours. For a few years, this provided enough income to pay rent, feed her family, and keep her children in school.

Yet, when Zhara’s landlord sold their house, she moved to a new neighbourhood. “We moved to a different area and because I didn’t know anyone, I couldn’t continue my business as no one would buy from me,” she says.

Unable to earn an income, Zhara turned to the government for help, yet with expired documentation she was not eligible for income support. Zhara also felt mistreated by the staff. “As soon as they realised my husband is in prison, they told me that they don’t help the families of terrorists and that I wasn’t entitled to any support.”

This lack of support forced Zhara to take her eldest son out of school at the age of eleven to work, where he faced discrimination due to his father's imprisonment. “When his employer found out his father was in prison and accused of being ISIS, he started to be unkind.

He was supposed to pay 15,000 dinar a day, but he started to pay just 5,000,” Zhara recalls.

This situation deeply affected Zhara's mental health. “I was so upset, and it really affected my mental health. I love my son so much and I wanted him to finish school and have a bright future. Because of my husband’s arrest, this is the life my son got.”

All four of Zhara’s daughters subsequently left school without completing their education, as the family could not afford the costs of uniforms, books, and equipment.

Zhara's life took a positive turn when she met the DRC team in her village. “I met DRC when they were in my village one day. I asked what they were doing and they explained they had a centre and the kind of support they offered. I visited the centre and everyone was so welcoming, it was like being hugged,” she describes.

Zhara received case management help, joined psycho-social support sessions, and had the assistance of a lawyer. Through DRC, she realised the importance of renewing her identity card to register for government support. “I needed to renew my identity card so that I could register for support from the Government as I live in poverty,” she explains.

However, this was a long and complicated process due to her husband's imprisonment. While working on renewing her documents, Zhara also received multi-purpose cash support from DRC. Zhara continued to receive multipurpose cash support until she was supported to receive the Government’s social safety net.

“It was like there was suddenly light in my life. It helped my mental health so much. For the first time in a very long time, we did not have to worry about food” she shares.

With monthly support from the Government now secured, Zhara is focused on ensuring her youngest son can complete his education. “I am so pleased for him,” she says with relief.

Meeting DRC has also helped Zhara overcome her fear of interacting with people. “Before I met DRC I was afraid of interacting with people, but now I find it easier. I used to be scared because of the abuse I could face, but now I know my rights much better.”

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