Iraq - Women making great strides in the Kurdistan Region |
| By Suzan
Akrawi KRG Representative for Women’s Affairs in the Netherlands Women in Iraq Under Saddam Hussein’s Ba’ath regime, women in Iraq suffered considerably as victims of political rape and torture, as mothers unable to provide for their children, or as wives who lost their families. However, at the same time some of them were able to attain positions that are still off-limits to many women in the Middle East, as employees, as politicians and as visible rather than hidden members of society. For 35 years before and under Saddam Hussein’s rule, Iraq was the aggressor in successive wars, and women saw their husbands and children conscripted and fed into the state’s military machine. Many were widowed and left to bring up their children alone. Today women make up more than 20% of the Iraqi workforce, holding a wide range of technical and professional jobs. They have also achieved a high rate of political participation. Women hold almost a fifth of the seats in Iraq’s parliament (the Middle East average is 3.5%). This critical mass of women already in government is a foundation that should be developed and protected. Women in the Kurdistan Region Ever since the formation of modern Iraq, women in Kurdistan have also suffered terribly at the hands of successive Iraqi governments. They have been socially and economically stigmatised and held back by outdated tribal traditions, beliefs and customs. Before the Kurdish uprising of 1991, women who joined the Peshmergas forces in the mountains lived under harsh conditions and were usually separated from their children and husbands. Later under the protection of the US and British no-fly zone established in 1991, 3.6 million Kurds carved out a new economic and political system and the position of women improved in many respects. Women now travel with much more freedom, hold high-level economic and political positions and have been critical to the revival of the Kurdistan Region. A close examination of life in Kurdistan reveals that as well as the social and political responsibilities they share with men, women have extensively and actively participated in agricultural and industrial production, and the reconstruction of destroyed towns and cities. Participation of women in public and professional life Today, women in Kurdistan continue to contribute to the Region’s progress and preserve its achievements. Three women serve as ministers in the Kurdistan Regional Government and several serve as judges. They also participate in public life as members of parliament, teachers, engineers, lawyers and labourers. Comparing the percentages of women representatives in different national legislative chambers, women in the Kurdistan Region have a high level of participation. As of 30 September 2006, women made up 27% of the Kurdistan National Assembly, while the percentage was 19.7% in the UK’s lower house, 15.2% in the US, 4.7% in Lebanon, 4.4% in Turkey, 1.5% in Kuwait, and 0% in the United Arab Emirates.[1] More than 13 women’s organizations now work in Kurdistan and they have been supported directly and continuously by the Kurdistan Regional Government. There are 25 newspapers and magazines written and run by Kurdish women. [2] The level of women’s participation in professional and managerial positions is encouraging: 7 senior members of political parties 27 experts and consultants 4 public prosecutors 11 deputy public prosecutor deputies 4 notaries 19 general managers 7 deputy ministers 6 sub-prefects and district directors 6 justices [3] Regular visits to the courts of justice in the Kurdistan Region reveal that numbers of female lawyers are constantly on the increase and that they are eager to take on cases of social injustice and discrimination. Women are also participating far more in theatre and the arts, areas which were once difficult for them to enter because of social attitudes to these professions and the view held by some that women should be in seclusion. Another role played by women is one that is easily overlooked but is perhaps the most important one: nurturing the younger generation so that they can preserve their identity, which has constantly come under threat. Prospects for the success of the Kurdistan Region will be enhanced if women can play a central role in the country's reconstruction and development and its political process. [1] Source: Inter-Parliamentary Union, information provided by national parliaments by 30 September 2006. http://www.ipu.org/wmn-e/arc/classif300906.htm , page accessed 30 November 2006. [2] Source: The Reality for Women in Kurdistan (1992-2004), fourth revised edition 2006, by Tariq Jambaz & Nahla Mohammed, published by Kurdistan National Assembly Committee for the Protection of Women’s Rights. [3] See note 2. |