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Iraq's Hidden Treasure
by Raja Habib Khuzai and Songul Chapouk, New
York Times op-ed
December 3, 2024
BAGHDAD, Iraq — Iraq has many capable women ready to lead
the country toward democracy. Yet women are severely underrepresented
in the leadership established for the transition. As plans for
a new governing structure are developed, the Iraqi Governing Council
and the Coalition Provisional Authority should ensure women their
rightful place at the decision-making table.
Many Iraqi women are well-educated — doctors, lawyers and
engineers who are already leaders in their communities. And regardless
of education, women in Iraq are often heads of households who have
kept their families and their country moving despite decades of
war and severe abuse under the Saddam Hussein regime.
Yet we two are the only women on the 25-member Governing Council.
(A third, Akila al-Hashimi, was assassinated in September and her
seat has not been filled.) Nisrin Barwari, the minister of public
works, is the only woman among the government agency heads named
in September. Among thousands of judges throughout Iraq fewer than
15 are women, and some are facing opposition to their appointments
to the bench on the basis of gender. At the district and local
level, especially in areas where officials have been chosen in
general elections, the situation is a bit better: the Baghdad City
Advisory Council has 6 women among 37 members.
As part of a delegation of female Iraqi professionals who met
with President Bush and his advisers last month, we pointed out
approaches used around the world to ensure that women's voices
are heard. The best-known successes of women's inclusion come from
the Nordic countries: women constitute nearly 40 percent of Parliaments
in Sweden, Norway and Denmark, where parties have created their
own quota systems to ensure a diversity of nominees.
But there are lesser-known models: Argentina has 30 percent quota
for women candidates in national elections; India requires that
one-third of seats in local municipal bodies be reserved for women;
Uganda reserves one seat in each of its parliamentary districts
for women. One of the more innovative systems for women's inclusion
has emerged from the Rwanda civil war — the country has set
aside nearly one-third of the 80 seats in its lower house of Parliament
for women, who are elected in a separate women-only election. Women
now make up 49 percent of the Rwandan Parliament, the highest percentage
in the world.
How can these sorts of innovations be adapted for Iraq? The United
States could work with us to ensure that the Governing Council
sets aside slots for women in all levels of government and in the
constitutional drafting process in proportion to their percentage
of the population; makes good on its previous pledge to appoint
at least five women as deputy ministers of government agencies;
increases the number of women on the Governing Council and its
successor provisional government and ensures that these women have
a leadership role in building a new government and appointing senior
government officials; guarantees equal rights and opportunities
for women in the constitution and all related laws; and creates
a gender advisory council that reports to the head of state and
has the authority and responsibility to make sure that women's
concerns are represented.
The women of Iraq are ready, willing and able to lead. Only by
making certain that they are allowed to participate can the United
States and Iraqi Governing Council plant seeds of inclusion that
will foster security, democracy and stability.
Raja Habib Khuzai and Songul Chapouk are members of the Iraqi
Governing Council.
Copyright 2003 The New York Times Company
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