ERBIL, Kurdistan Region — In Saudi Arabia, women are waiting for the right to drive. In Iraqi Kurdistan, women are waiting to refuel at their very own gas station.
A major source of Iraqi Kurdistan’s gasoline was cut off when militants attacked Iraq’s largest refinery in Baiji. While the government establishes new international supply routes, Iraqi Kurds are lining up for kilometers to reach gas stations, some queuing all day only to be turned away from empty pumps.
To ease the pain for female drivers, officials have opened a women’s-only gas station in northern Erbil.
“I’ve been waiting for only 45 minutes; you had to wait for three hours before,” said Avesta Sirwan, a doctor, as she inched toward the front of the line. “At the other stations we were treated as less important. If someone was courteous enough to let us in, some men were telling station attendants, ‘Why would you let a woman get in that easily?’”
There have been several unforeseen consequences of the new system.
Many female drivers expressed their irritation with men who are taking advantage of unclear rules. Some bring their wives or daughters and switch places at the wheel before reaching a police checkpoint outside the station.
Some of the women are being sent to fuel up but apparently don’t know how to drive. Rudaw saw many women who couldn’t restart their cars or switch gears. Some opened the trunk when pump attendants asked to open the fuel tank. One officer admitted that women were being allowed in “with or without licenses,” despite official checks.
Other men resort to more extreme measures.
“One of our men noticed a suspicious-looking woman entering the North Oil gasoline station and stopped her for questioning,” Brigadier-General Qadir Saddiq told reporters. “Upon closer inspection the officer realized the driver was a man wearing lipstick, make-up and women’s clothes. Strange things happen to the country in times of crisis…we expect all kinds of jokes, but I feel sorry when I see what’s happening to everyone.”
Rudaw witnessed some men trying to enter the station alone. One became frustrated when police wouldn’t let him in, and began to curse officers in Arabic.
When they attempted to arrest him, he resisted and shoved one, forcing the officer to knock him over the head with a truncheon. After recovering from a daze, the man leapt into his car and sped away with blood gushing down his face.
Because men started gaming the system, or simply sending out their wives to fill up cars, it now takes almost just as long to wait in the women’s line. Many women have called for more female stations with stricter rules.
For the most part, however, the crisis has brought out the best in people. While there are the occasional “cutters” in line, the vast majority of people have respected the rules. “I wouldn’t have cheated even if I had to wait for five hours, because it’s very inconsiderate to cheat when some people have to wait hours on a hot day to get a small amount of gas,” said Rupak Mahmoud, a teacher in an old Hyundai Tucson.
Drivers endure extreme temperatures in their vehicles, with many shutting off air conditioning to save gas. As Ramadan begins, many fast from sunup to sundown, meaning that they cannot even drink water. In this time of sacrifice, self-discipline, and community-mindedness, some women see the ordeal as an exercise in patience and forgiveness.
“I wouldn’t have cheated the line even if I had the chance because it’s a sin, but I have let a few cheaters in without honking,” admitted Kazhal Siamand, a student.
Layla Qasim, a housewife in a Volkswagen Golf full of hyperactive kids, quietly accepted her fate from the back of the line.
“Only God and officials know when this crisis is going to end.”
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