Iraqi Women and Civil Society Forum ”Leadership and Influence: Towards a Sustainable and Innovative Future”

His Excellency former Prime Minister Ayad Allawi,

Adviser Sara Allawi, 

Distinguished participants,

I thank the organizers of this forum for their invitation, and I am honored to participate, on behalf of the Special Representative of the Secretary-General Mohamed Al Hassan, in this important event. Your voices as civil society representatives and initiatives such as this forum are of critical importance. The debate this evening is a great opportunity to freely exchange views, compare experiences and develop concrete recommendations for the way forward towards these noble goals.

The United Nations in Iraq, represented by UNAMI as well as relevant agencies, funds and programmes, strongly appreciates and supports the work of civil society towards protecting and promoting women’s rights, and reinforcing the role of women in public life.

The specific mandate of UNAMI until its departure in December 2025is to promote the human rights of women and their full, equal, meaningful and safe participation in the elections.

We commend the efforts on behalf of women’s empowerment undertaken by successive Iraqi governments, including Prime Minister Allawi’s government, as well as the current government of Prime Minister Muhammad Shia al-Sudani. The National Strategy for Iraqi Women (2023-2030) sets a vision for equality, while the Iraq National Action Plan on UN Security Council resolution 1325 reinforces women’s roles in peace and security.  I would also like to specifically welcome the recent establishment of the High Council for Women Affairs and the Higher Committee to Support Women’s Political Participation.

We work closely with these and other institutions, including Ministries, the National Directorate for Iraqi Women, the Independent High Electoral Commission, the Prime Minister’s Advisers, and the Council of Representatives. 

UNAMI of course also works with, and benefits from the advice of, civil society organizations, who often find themselves facing social and other challenges, and deserve our recognition and appreciation.  I wish to pay a special tribute to those women who have survived indescribable crimes at the hands of terrorist organizations, and all women who every day fight to overcome prejudice, discrimination and violence, whether at work, at home or in public life.  All play a key role towards building a sustainable future where women are empowered and genuinely treated as equal to men.

The agenda of work to build such a future is extensive.  At the legislative level, let me mention, for example, the draft law on domestic violence that still awaits to be passed, as well as the new code to be drafted in accordance with the amended law on personal status. We hope these legislative initiatives will be in line with Iraq’s international human rights commitments, so as to effectively contribute to the affirmation of women’s rights in Iraq.

Enhancing women’s political participation is another important goal. In the 2023 Governorate Council elections, women won 76 out of 285 seats, slightly surpassing the minimum 25 per cent quota – a quota supported at the time of the drafting of the Constitution by Prime Minister Allawi.  While that was an important achievement, unfortunately no woman became governor, deputy governor or chair of governorate councils. This highlights the need for more work to ensure that women are integrated into the decision-making processes and structures. 

We also look forward to more efforts to promote women’s participation, as voters and candidates, in the context of the forthcoming elections for the Council of Representatives. Let me stress here that political parties also have a key role in this regard, by taking measures to ensure that women can achieve leadership positions in their parties and receive effective support in their electoral campaign.

Ladies and gentlemen,

In conclusion, I wish to recognize the achievements so far made by women in Iraq in seeking equal rights and equal participation in the country’s public life. The road ahead is full of challenges but also great opportunities.  The United Nations in Iraq will continue to support these efforts.

I believe we will agree that everyone will gain from promoting women’s rights and their political participation in Iraq, as the country continues to build its own path towards a more inclusive, stronger society.

Once again, I thank you for the invitation and look forward to the discussion this evening.

Thank you.