UNAMI launches #WhyNot campaign in Babil Governorate, calling for stronger representation of women in the incoming Government and national institutions

Speaking at the event, Deputy Special Representative of the Secretary-General Alice Walpole commended all the women who won seats in the parliamentary elections on 12 May, both within and outside the women’s seat quota. “I hope that a substantial number of incoming female Members of Parliament will be appointed to key roles in parliamentary committees and to seats on the Council of Ministers,” said DSRSG Walpole.

The #WhyNot campaign originally started in April, in the run-up to the parliamentary elections. Its support for women candidates was partly aimed at countering the vicious negative social media campaigns at that time, targeted at many of the women candidates for parliamentary seats. “Now that the elections are over, the #WhyNot campaign will continue…...there remains a great deal to do to ensure that Iraq benefits fully from the skills, experience and knowledge that women can bring to political life,” emphasised DSRSG Walpole, who spoke about her own mother’s role as a Member of Parliament in Britain.



She added that the United Nations’ mandate in Iraq, agreed with the government of Iraq and recently renewed on 14 June, clearly tasks the United Nations Assistance Mission for Iraq with promoting the participation, involvement and representation of women at all levels of society. “It also instructs UNAMI to promote women’s equal access to executive roles in key areas such as national reconciliation, security sector reform, elections and socio-economic development,” she said.

DSRSG Walpole noted that the United Nations stands ready to collaborate with the incoming government, notably the Council of Representatives, in developing, for example, legislation to broaden women’s political space and facilitate their appointment in leadership positions in government, the judiciary and other national institutions.