Explaining Violence Against Feminist Activists and Women Human Rights Defenders

On March 2, 2026, Iraqi feminist activist Yanar Mohammed was assassinated by armed militants at her home in Baghdad. Since founding the Organization of Women’s Freedom in Iraq (OWFI) in 2004, Mohammed had been repeatedly targeted by anti-rights and fundamentalist forces seeking to repress her advocacy for women’s rights. She was a pioneer in building feminist infrastructure to support women and girls fleeing violence, while also publicly challenging the U.S.-led war, militarization, and patriarchal governance.