On Saturday, October 2, 2021, the President of the Republic of Iraq, Barham Salih met with a delegation including a number of women activists and Women from civil society organizations from Iraq. The meeting was held at al-Salam Palace in Baghdad.
Country’s next federal election set to be held on 10 October was discussed during the meeting, with focus on the need to ensure large turn-out at the elections, namely the Women.
The election, which is set to be held in a few days, is a milestone and historical event in the history of Iraq, Iraqi President Salih said, and it is therefore, a major political transformation should be made, and the situation must be redressed, and the good governance meeting the Iraqis’ demands to live a life of dignity and freedom must be established also.
Furthermore, he emphasized that women’s electoral and political empowerment should be enhanced as they are essential to the country’s elections.
He noted that a number of female voters is almost half of the total number of electors, and a number of women’s candidates is 30% from all the candidates, and this number surpassed the quota system, and reflects insistence of women to actively stand for elections.
It is vital to create the right conditions that ensure fair and free participation of women in the elections to choose the better representatives for the next Iraqi Parliament, he added.
Additionally, President Salih said that the current electoral system enables the women to have a number of good seats in the legislative institution through a quota system. We have a good and modern law if it is compared to the electoral law in many of the States, and we hope to be better in the next elections.
The issue of the position of the women in the society is essential and is closely linked to the development, economy and social stability, he continued, economy can’t be developed, and development can’t be achieved without empowering women.
Moreover, the President said that personal targeting through discrediting women candidates is an unfortunate, painful and unacceptable state so this act must be prevented, and must not be allowed to occur again.
