Only 3 women nominated for new Iraqi Kurdistan cabinet
From left to right, Begard Talabani (PUK, Vala Fared (KDP) and Kwestan Mohammed (Gorran)
HEWLÊR-Erbil, Iraq’s Kurdistan region,— Ignoring calls for balance, Kurdish parties nominate just 3 women for new Iraqi Kurdistan cabinet positions.
If their nominations are approved by Iraqi Kurdistan Parliament, there will be a total of three women in the 9th cabinet of the Kurdistan Regional Government, well short of the 30 percent hoped for by women’s rights advocates.
In order to reach that mark, the parties would have needed to nominate at least six women to take on the top jobs at the Kurdistan’s 9th ministries.
While there is a 30 percent quota for women in the legislature, no such system exists for ministerial or other executive posts.
In April 2019, several dozen activists called on the parties to ensure that that women would be a part of the government’s senior-level decision-making process by tapping them for ministerial positions.
Women are set to hold four senior posts in the new Kurdistan Regional Government parliament – three as ministers and one as parliament speaker – in what is hoped to be a stride towards women’s improved political representation in the Region.
Two of the women, Rewaz Fayaq, tipped to become speaker, and Begard Talabani, nominated for the post of Minister for Agriculture and Water Resources, are members of the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK). The other two are Gorran’s Kwestan Mohammed and the Kurdistan Democratic Party KDP’s Vala Fared, for the roles of Minister of Reconstruction and Housing, and Region Minister respectively. Fared is the parliament speaker in the incumbent parliament.
“Having three women in the new governmental cabinet is not everything, but it is a good step,” Pakhshan Zanganah, Secretary General of the Supreme Council of Women’s Affairs, told Rudaw.
A Kurdish Regional Government quota system has ensured that women lawmakers make up 30 percent of the 111-seat parliament in Kurdistan Region. Iraq’s parliament has a 25 percent quota for women.
While an improvement over the 8thh cabinet, where only one woman served as a minister, the failure to meet the 30 percent threshold will likely disappoint advocates who sought greater gender balance in the 9th cabinet.
President of the High Council of Women’s Affairs Pakhishan Zangana told KDP-affiliated media that the council had prepared a proposal to stabilize the rate of women’s participation in the government and mirror Parliament’s 30 percent rate.
“Although what we have noticed in the selection of women now has not reached that rate, but we are glad for [their nominations],” she said, referring to the three women who were nominated.
However, accusations had previously been made that women’s representation in government ministries maintains a gendered hierarchy, with “low-level” positions given to women in order to fill quotas while high profile ministries have remained the exclusive domain of men.
Hoshyar Malo, head of Kurdish Human Rights Watch, told Rudaw that he hoped the nominated women would not just represent their parties in their posts, but work for the interests of women in general.
“Having three female ministers in the ninth cabinet will positively reflect in the decision making bodies of Kurdistan as no one can represent women better than themselves do. We cannot have a cabinet full of men saying they are representing even women. They cannot do it,” Malo said.
He also noted the particular prestige of the role of parliament speaker, saying that “having a woman as speaker of the parliament is important.”
“In other countries women have held the positions of defense minister and even president, and have proven to be even more successful than the men.” he added.
In September 2018, the autonomous Kurdistan Region held its parliamentary election, with parties competing for 111 seats in total. The Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) won the election by securing 45 seats and was followed by the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) with 21 seats and Gorran (Change) Movement with 12.
Copyright © 2019, respective author or news agency, Ekurd.net | nrttv.com | rudaw.net
Comments