The Women’s Affairs Unit at the College of Law, University of Baghdad, held a workshop on Sunday, 18 October 2026, entitled “Women’s Quota in the Iraqi Electoral System: Challenges of Implementation and Justice.” The workshop was delivered by Assistant Professor Dr. Omar Hamdi Mahdi in the College’s Moot Court Hall.
The workshop aimed to analyse the women’s quota system in Iraq and assess its effectiveness in achieving women’s political representation. It also sought to identify the challenges associated with its implementation in light of the principles of equality, electoral justice, and equal opportunities, with a view to identifying shortcomings and proposing appropriate legislative remedies.
The workshop addressed several topics, including the constitutional and legal foundations of women’s quotas in Iraq and Syria, the challenges of implementing women’s quotas within the Iraqi electoral system, and the relationship between women’s quotas and the principles of electoral justice and equality.
The workshop concluded with a set of recommendations, most notably:
1. Enhancing transparency in the announcement of election results to enable a distinction between seats won by women through electoral votes and those allocated through the application of the quota system.
2. Encouraging political parties to support female candidates through funding, training, and media outreach, while strengthening women’s participation in party decision-making.
3. Promoting electoral and legal awareness to clarify the constitutional purpose of the quota system and reinforce public understanding of women’s right to political participation.
