Insecurity and Avoidance Behavior among Iraqi Women: The Effects of Displacement and Discrimination

Abstract

Insecurity and fear of crime experienced by women has been studied in several developed and developing countries, including the Middle East; however, a paucity of research exists regarding predictors among Iraqi samples. In addition, few studies examined the effects of conflict-related displacement and experiences of discrimination on women insecurity. In the current study, we investigate the effects of displacement, both conflict-related and otherwise, as well as the experience of discrimination on Iraqi women’s feelings of insecurity and avoidance behaviors. Based on a recent, nationally representative dataset collected by the UNICEF (the Multiple Indicators Cluster Survey for Iraq, 2018), our multilevel analyses of over 30,000 adult women in more than 18,000 Iraqi households across the country suggests that Iraqi women who experienced conflict-related displacement, other forms of displacement, and discrimination were much more likely to report feelings insecure and avoiding being alone at night than women who did not have these experiences.