Newroz Dijwar/JINHA

SULAYMANIYAH – As the Federal Kurdistan Region of Iraq continues the process of drafting a new constitution, women say a gender parity system would open doors to more equitable, pluralistic politics.

The process of drafting a new constitution in the Federal Kurdistan Region of Iraq, after 24 years of its existence, has been a difficult one for women's rights advocates. Just four of the members of the 21-person constitutional committee are women.

Women's groups have expressed concern that gender-related laws will be sidelined in the process. Women are calling for laws that would protect women, such as laws against female circumcision and protecting women's right to inheritance. The women's group Jiyan has submitted its recommendations to the Parliament, but the Parliament (dominated by men and the ruling KDP) has not always prioritized such recommendations.

Gender parity is one policy that many groups are hopeful could change the political atmosphere in the Region. Under the co-chair system used by the Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) in Turkey and throughout society in the Rojava region of Syria, a man and a woman share all political offices. Although the co-chair system has been successful in other Kurdish groups, it has never been proposed in the Federal Kurdistan Region.

"The quota for women needs to be 40%; we want to implement the same co-chair system here that exists in other parts of Kurdistan," said Sînor Kerim, a member of the Kurdistan Free Society Movement (Tevgera Azadî). Tevgera Azadî has submitted a list of concerns to Parliament, calling for a constitution that protects rights for individuals, religious groups, women and ethnic groups. Sînor says the co-chair system would open the way for more equitable, pluralistic politics as well as broader changes in society.

"The co-chair system is the sine qua non of having a more developed democracy," said Sînor. "When there's a decision to be made, having two people's opinion is always better. More equitable decisions can be made. And if there's a quota for women, there will be a change in society."

Sînor has hopes for the new constitution. If the drafting process is pluralistic and accounts for the viewpoints of social movements and civil society groups, she says, the Federal Kurdistan Region may see a more democratic constitution.

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