Actresses in the city of Sulaymaniyah in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq (KRI), performed a play called ‘Bêdengiyek Tarî’ (‘A Dark Silence’), in a public park to draw attention to violence against women and to raise awareness of the issue.
Firmêsk Mistefa, one of the actresses, spoke to Jinha News Agency about the play. She said:
“This is a play against violence. We want to attract people’s attention. Everyone is obliged to take responsibility regarding this issue. Why is there violence in our society, and how can we prevent it? We have to start thinking about these questions.”
Actress Sergul Hisên explained why they chose to perform in the park:
“Our play takes a stance against ongoing violence against women. We, as actresses, have chosen to perform in this park because a woman was killed here.”
The widely acclaimed play is a collection of stories of women subjected to all kinds of violence, from different places and of varying social status.