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ERBIL, Kurdistan Region – 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.
"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.
Hanar Marouf, an activist and researcher, described the nomination of Talabani, Mohammed and Fared as ministers as "important" on social media.
"Wishing these three females from different political parties/backgrounds & the speaker of parliament all success," Maruf tweeted.
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.
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 mid-February, MPs elected two women as speaker and deputy speaker of the KRG legislature. The outgoing KRG cabinet had just one female minister, Newroz Mawlood Amin, who ran the Ministry of Municipalities and Tourism.
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'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.
Hanar Marouf, an activist and researcher, described the nomination of Talabani, Mohammed and Fared as ministers as "important" on social media.
"Wishing these three females from different political parties/backgrounds & the speaker of parliament all success," Maruf tweeted.
The important part is that we as #women are participating. Wishing these three females from different political parties/backgrounds & the speaker of parliament all success.
— Hanar Marouf (@Hanar_Marouf) July 8, 2019
Very glad that the campaign by all of us did work #womeningovernment pic.twitter.com/mGJpfI8rp2
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.
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 mid-February, MPs elected two women as speaker and deputy speaker of the KRG legislature. The outgoing KRG cabinet had just one female minister, Newroz Mawlood Amin, who ran the Ministry of Municipalities and Tourism.
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