What is the situation of women in Iraq today?
I think the situation across the country has been very difficult in recent years. But women may have suffered more. After the Yazidi genocide by the Islamic State, for example, 80% of the victims were men and the women were left alone. That’s why the women of this small community in our country suffered a lot in the past, but I think they have equal rights today, we’ve changed a lot of laws and adapted the legislation to UN Security Council Resolution 1325. The difficulty is rebuilding a country that has endured so much trauma during the war and the waves of terrorism. There were women who survived the camps during the dictatorship and who survived again during the war. But since 2018, we have been trying to rebuild the country, empower women and give them more opportunities to access work in both the private and public sectors. In rural areas, we have tried to help them set up their own businesses and structures so that they can be active in society. With the help of several NGOs, and of course the United Nations, we have tried to organize workshops, courses and improve schools. Currently, 30% of the public sector workers are women and in the private sector we have only 5%, so we have tried to support more women to enter this sector. In some areas, such as education and health, the majority of workers are women. Giving women autonomy and economic autonomy, in addition to education and access to health care, will open up a new perspective for the country. To have a healthy Iraqi society, you need healthy women, mentally and physically, who are autonomous.
Are there female ministers in Iraq?
We currently have three female ministers and about 30% of MPs are women. The quota for the federal government is 25%, but we have exceeded that quota, meaning people voted for 30% women in parliament. In the Kurdistan region, the quota is 30%. In both Baghdad and Kurdistan we have women’s departments dealing with women’s issues and adapting legislation and the education system to international rules. If we look at the United Nations and other international organizations, and the role of Iraq, we have had a leading role. The country fights for all citizens to be equal and have access to everything.
Are there differences in the integration of Sunni and Shia women in the labor market?
Iraq is fortunate to be a multicultural and multilingual country. In the country, we have more than 12% of the population who are non-Muslim. And these minorities, such as Christians, Jews and others, help to develop mindsets. It is not a matter of being Christian, Muslim, Shia, Sunni or Kurdish. It is about the resources offered, whether they have access to education. All religions, even the most radical, have never denied women access to education and work. For example, the only difference for some religions is that women have to wear a veil when they go to work, or don’t show their bodies. But it is not like the Taliban who have much stricter rules for women. Iraq’s biggest problem is security. We have had the intervention of several other countries and now we are solving that problem and making Iraq a safe country. The second point is economic. How can you rebuild a country with one of the highest birth rates in the world and a population growth of one million people per year? Our population is currently about 40 million people. Our country is one of the richest in natural resources in the world, but after years of embargoes and wars and having to rebuild the country with a large population, it is difficult. Every year we have to build new hospitals and schools, create new jobs. These are the biggest challenges we have today, like giving work to everyone, both men and women, but we give priority to women because the war has left many widows and orphans.
Are there big differences in the situation of women in Iraqi Kurdistan and in the rest of Iraq?
In Kurdistan, the mentality is different as the region has been separated from the dictatorship since 1991. Therefore, they had 13 years of freedom to be more aware of democracy, human and women’s rights. They had no terrorism in Kurdistan, which security gave them more chances. In some northern cities they are developed and have international education systems from different countries. Since it is a peaceful area, everything is a little different, but all of Iraq will manage to be that way. Iraq has many opportunities, not only in the area of gas and oil. There are several religions in the country that have their shrines. The pope visited the city of Uruk, a Christian shrine, and it was the first time such a visit had been made by a pope. We have a lot of staff and well-trained people. Our country had its first female minister in 1959 and was the first in the Arab world to achieve this feat. One of the most famous female architects in the world is an Iraqi, Zaha Hadid, who has since passed away. Women have always played an important role in Iraq.
In the time of Saddam Hussein, there was a dictatorship that was secular in spite of everything. What are the differences between Iraq in Saddam’s time and now?
Iraq is still a secular country. Iraq has been multi-ethnic and multi-religious for over eight thousand years, not just today. There was a religious court, the millet, which originated in the Ottoman Empire and still existed during Saddam’s regime. Today we have an independent court for every religion. All religions are equal and have an independent budget. On the social front, newspapers and international television channels were banned, there was no internet, no cell phones and anyone caught with them was killed. At the time of the embargo, the monthly salary for both men and women was two dollars a month. Today, salaries are $300 to $400 a month and you can access everything. The constitution recognizes that all religions are equal, in addition to gender equality, and everyone in the country. To this day, despite decades of war in Iraq, we have more than 30 religions in the country.
sara.a.santos@dn.pt