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Iraqi women are on the verge of being erased
How a nation that once led the Arab world in gender equality is now threatening to turn back the clock.
In a shocking turn of events, Iraq — once the poster child for women’s rights in the Arab world — is on the brink of a massive rollback. On August 4, 2024, Iraqi lawmakers debated a draft law that could shatter decades of progress, leaving many to wonder: What happened to the country that gave us the Middle East’s first female judge?
Rewind to the 1950s. Iraq was breaking barriers:
• 1956: Sabiha AlShaikh Daood becomes the first female judge in the Arab world
• 1959: Nazima al-Dulaimi appointed as the first female minister in an Arab government
Fast forward to 2024, and it feels like we’re watching a film in reverse. The proposed amendments to Iraq’s family law would:
• Allow religious doctrine to govern personal affairs
• Potentially lower the marriage age (as low as 9 for girls in some interpretations)
• Give fathers automatic custody of children as young as 2
• Make divorce easier, stripping away protections for women
Some attribute this regressive move to the rise of Islamist political parties in post-2003 Iraq. Others see it as part…
