Women from different Iraqi rights groups met on Monday to issue a list of demands they believe will guarantee women’s rights in the country’s new Constitution.
The informal group issued a six-point statement demanding that Islamic law, or sharia, is not one of the sources of the Constitution; that Iraq should abide by all international treaties concerning human rights and the rights of women and children; and that all Iraqi men and women have equal legal rights.
The statement also calls for female representation ”in the three branches of government and in other decision-making positions to be no less than 25%”.
The role of Islam remains an important stumbling block in completing Iraq’s new Constitution, which is due to be submitted to Parliament on August 15 ahead of a planned referendum on the charter in October.
An early draft published in the Al-Sabah newspaper last month suggested Islam was to be ”the official religion of the state” and ”the main source of legislation”.
Some MPs want this amended to say Islam is only ”a source” of the Constitution.
The text is supported by the conservative Shi’ite majority in Iraq’s Parliament. It is, however, still under discussion by a parliamentary committee and subject to revision.
Participants at the Baghdad meeting included Minister of Women’s Affairs Azhar Al Sheikli; Ahlam Lefta, a university law professor; Iraq’s ambassador to Egypt, Safia al-Suhail; and former environment minister Pascale Warda. — Sapa-AFP