LONDON: Former Iraqi Member of Parliament Rizan Al-Sheikh Delir has expressed her concern over widespread sexual harassment in the parliament, saying that even within the parliamentary setting, female MPs were subjected to inappropriate jokes and verbal abuse.
She was shedding light on the experiences faced by Iraqi women in various spheres, including the halls of parliament. Addressing the issue of sexual harassment in an on-air interview on popular Iraqi programme “Game of Chair” this week, Delir said that the situation had been escalating in many institutions in the country, with behaviours going unchecked due to the lack of deterrents.
“Our society suffers from violence and hatred. I come in second in such a society, who will listen to me?” she asked.
Delir said that the political view of women in Iraqi society is to view them as “weaklings” who are unable to fulfill their roles, and that women are treated as second-class citizens.
The problem of sexual harassment in Iraq is widespread, with many women reporting that they face incidents in markets, on public transport, on the streets and in the workplace, both in the public and private sectors.
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A 2021 report by the European Union Asylum Agency revealed the deep-rooted nature of violence against women and girls in Iraqi society, exacerbated by discriminatory attitudes within law enforcement and a lack of awareness of women’s rights.
Despite women holding nearly 30 percent of parliamentary seats, an unprecedented milestone since the 2003 US invasion of Iraq, there remains a disturbing silence among women in positions of power.
Reports in 2018 indicated that women running for office faced intimidation, abuse, and the publication of explicit material intended to dissuade them from entering politics.
Among the high-profile cases of violence against women in the past two years was the murder of 22-year-old YouTube vlogger Tiba Al-Ali, who was allegedly strangled by her father, sparking renewed calls for a domestic violence law.
However, attempts to pass the legislation since 2015 have met with vehement opposition in parliament, with arguments citing a violation of Islamic principles, a departure from “national values” and incompatibility with Iraqi culture.
