NewrozDijwar/JINHA

SILÊMANΖ With a new constitution planned for the Federal Kurdistan Region, young women are calling for women's rights to be a priority.

The proposed new constitution has been the main item on the agenda lately in the Federal Kurdistan Region of Iraq. Women are calling for a 50-50 gender parity rule for the 21-person constitutional committee. They are concerned that women's rights will be sidelined in the constitutional discussions.

Sulaimaniyah woman LuvaMihemed called for the constitutional committee to have a gender quota. Although the Federal Kurdistan Region has a gender quota in the Parliament, it is only around 1/3, ensuring that the majority of parliamentarians are always men.

"If they asked me to write the constitution, I would make it equal and democratic," Luva remarked.

Onelegal provision that women are calling for in the new constitution is a guarantee of women's rights as workers and measures for women's employment. Women are also calling for legal guarantees that femicide perpetrators and those who arrange child marriages will be punished.

University student VerdaTahirKadir says the constitution needs to explicitly stress women's rights and equality. She is concerned that if women are not heard in the constitution drafting process, these issues will be neglected.

"This time, the constitution needs to make women's rights visible and legalized," she said. "As a young woman, I'm responsible for problems in society. Every woman needs to take on this responsibility and submit opinions related to the new constitution."

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