Politics of Gender in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq

After the U.S. invasion of Iraq and the establishment of close relations between the West and the Kurds after 2003, there has been an increase in the demand towards reading and learning about this ethnic group. However, while in Western countries, there is substantial literature on the politics of gender, giving a deeper insight into the role that women play in the field, in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq (KRI), women rarely come up as a topic of discussion. This trend has also affected the literary works that detail their role in social and political affairs. Little has been written to establish the position in politics and their unexploited potential. On the other hand, in Iraq and in the Middle East at large, the Iraqi Kurdish society has made significant strides towards modernization and observation of the rule of law and governance in line with international standards. The National Action Plan and the Declaration of the Elimination of Violence against Women among others are the documents that are binding over Kurdistan to work towards ensuring the rights of women and their participation in politics. However, whether the contents of these documents on the involvement of women in the political landscape and respect for their rights are being honoured or just remain on paper is still debatable. With a focus on these issues, this book examines the politics of gender in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq, delving into the regional phenomena (ie: resource curse, tribalism, religion, elitist feminism, and political culture). Using a mixed-methods approach, this book also acts as a pointer to how the country regards women even in the private spheres, including in the civil society level. Understanding the challenges that women face in articulating and shaping their interests and the place of tribal structure of the society and religion besides the oil economy that lead to gender inequality in political, social, and economic spheres is important towards helping them increase their representation in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq (KRI).