Domestic violence has been on the rise in Iraq, with women's groups blaming instability and the break down of law and order.
However, there has been a growing awareness of the issue at the highest levels of government and the women's rights groups are hopeful that the legislature will finally pass a law criminalising what they see as a "national crisis".
The penal code currently has a provision allowing husbands to discipline their wives and does not criminalise domestic violence.
Al Jazeera's Natasha Ghoneim reports from Baghdad.
