Name: Iraq elections: Record number of women running for parliament
Uploaded: 2025-11-07T16:31:43.827Z
Duration: 2 min 39 s
Description: Iraq is witnessing an unprecedented number of women running for parliament, with more than 2,200 female candidates participating in the upcoming general elections.

Iraq is witnessing an unprecedented number of women running for parliament, with more than 2,200 female candidates participating in the upcoming general elections.

Baghdad

Iraq is witnessing an unprecedented number of women running for parliament, with more than 2,200 female candidates participating in the upcoming general elections. Among them is Riham Nazim, a pharmacist and mother living with a disability, who highlights the dual challenges faced by women and people with special needs in Iraqi politics.

Although the constitution mandates that a quarter of parliamentary seats be reserved for women, real decision-making remains dominated by men and traditional political networks. Candidates like Riham and Hawra Karagholli emphasize the need not only to win seats but also to break down longstanding barriers to women's full participation in governance.

Iraq elections: Record number of women running for parliament

Riham Nazim says she doesn't want to reinvent the wheel. But her decision to run in general elections is seen as nothing short of remarkable in Iraq. She's a pharmacist from the city of Al-Qud, a mother of one and is living with a disability. Unlike the polished tiles beneath the wheels of her chair, her path to Baghdad's parliament has been far from smooth. As a woman, I'm already marginalized. And as a person with special needs, I belong to a group with no rights in Iraq. I want to reach parliament to serve people like me and to pass the laws we need. Her husband Zaid has been helping her clear the obstacles along the way. Yet Riham knows her first battle is not with politicians, but with society itself. When people call to tell me to stay home, to look after my pharmacy and my health, they say even the able-bodied have failed to bring change. So what chances do I have? But Riham wants to win. To do so, she must out-campaign thousands of men and more than 2,200 women also standing in this election, the highest number since 2003. In the current parliament, there are 95 women out of 329 lawmakers. Iraq's constitution guarantees that a quarter of parliament seats should go to women. But quotas don't equal power. In reality, decision-making remains a man's world, controlled by party bosses and traditional political networks. So for women seeking entry in politics, it's not about winning a seat. It's about breaking the structure made to keep them out. Other women like Riham also want to step into this arena. At this school in Baghdad, Hawra Karagholli spends her days managing staff and students. Now, she wants to help shape the decisions that will define Iraq's future. Women should be part of the decision-making. We've always been up to the challenge. We just need the chance. As she drove us through Baghdad, Hawra spoke about the uphill road ahead. Her campaign posters line the same streets as those of men with deeper pockets and powerful connections. She knows the odds are staked against her, but believes change has to begin somewhere. Ali Hashem Al-Jazeera, Baghdad.

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