Women and the Leadership Dilemma (Women's Role and Participation in the Political Process in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq) as a Model

Abstract

The purpose of this research, entitled "Women and the Leadership Dilemma: Women's Role and Participation in the Political Process in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq," is to identify the challenges women have faced and continue to face in the political process in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq since 2005. Despite women's legitimate rights to participate in political parties and organizations, the political landscape and the ruling regime are almost devoid of women in senior leadership positions in the region. The research poses a fundamental question: What are the most prominent obstacles that have prevented women from reaching leadership positions? The study hypothesized that Kurdish society, in addition to the dominance of a patriarchal mentality, also faces political, social, legal, and economic obstacles. The research relied on an analytical, institutional, and systems methodology. Finally, the research reached several conclusions, most notably that in senior government positions in the Kurdistan Region, no women have been able to lead institutions, and that Kurdish society views women as weak and incapable of assuming leadership roles.