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On April 9, 2003, Saddam Hussein's regime in Iraq collapsed, triggering a transition period. During this time, a new government was formed, institutions underwent significant changes and the balance of power between different factions of the population changed radically. This new regime represented an opportunity for women campaigning for gender equality. However, little has changed over the past 20 years. FRANCE 24's Iraq correspondant Marie-Charlotte Roupie spoke to both women on the streets of Baghdad as well as those in positions of power.
Following the collapse of Saddam Hussein's regime on April 9, 2003, many hoped that the status of women in Iraqi society would have improved more than it has over the past 20 years.
However, Iraq's mainstream parties have a tendancy to give "positions to women just to fill quotas ordered by law," explains Independent MP Nour Nafea el-Julihawi. "These political parties were bringing in weak women with no political experience on purpose."
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Local citizen Wafaa Abbas told FRANCE 24, “Even if we talk and call out for something, who is going to listen to our demands? No one.”
In reality, women’s rights in Iraq have made little progress in 20 years, as the country's society remains extremely patriarchal. The main objective of human rights activists in the country today is to fight for new legislation to better protect women against violence.
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