Women members of the Iraqi parliament demanded on Saturday that they be given key posts in the legislature or government, accusing male MPs of “marginalising women.” “We refuse to be marginalised. We think that women, whichever party they may be from are capable of taking posts in parliament,” said Mayssoun Damlouji an MP from the secularist Iraqi National List of former premier Iyad Allawi.

“We demand from these leaders that women be given berths in the government as well as some of the key parliament posts.”

She said despite women holding 70 seats in the 275-member parliament, none of the nine top posts -- three on the presidency, three in the government and three in the assembly -- were being offered to women.

Iraqi MPs were to meet later Saturday to agree the sharing out of some of the nine positions.

“Iraqi women represent more than half of the population of the country and to deny them a political role is not acceptable in a democratic system,” said Safiya Souhail, another MP from Allawi’s list.

She called for modifications in the constitution concerning the status of women.

“This fundamental law does not guarantee women’s rights in a complete way,” she said, referring to articles on the personal status of women with regard to marriage and divorce.