Women politicians and activists have launched Iraq’s first women’s political party ahead of the country’s upcoming parliamentary elections in November.
The al-Mawadda Party is an initiative to unify the efforts of women from various communities and enhance their role in political life. In Arabic, the term al-Mawadda symbolises compassion, love and respect.
After two years of waiting for official licensing approval, the al-Mawadda Party has garnered over 7,000 members and aims to be a distinct voice for women among Iraq’s male-dominated and conservative political landscape.
“Women constitute more than half of Iraqi society. Our party was established due to the marginalised role of women and their genuine exclusion from all areas of life, especially from decision-making,” the party’s secretary-general and founder, Jihan al-Taei told Rudaw.
The large number of new party members came “without promotional campaigns,” al-Taei also said, noting it was “as a result of people’s belief in the necessity of having a women’s party that expresses women’s aspirations”.
Iraqi law states that at least one-third of any political party’s membership must be male, so men are also included in the al-Mawadda Party. The party’s membership also includes people from across Iraq and the Kurdistan Region, with its headquarters in Baghdad.
Gender-based violence and women’s rights remain key issues in Iraq, as the country’s history has seen both progress and setbacks.
In January 2025, Iraq’s parliament passed a law, giving religious authorities the power to legalise marriages of children as young as nine years old. Activists and women’s rights organisations criticised the decision, saying it will “legalise child rape”.
Currently in Iraq, the minimum age of marriage is 18, but a 2023 UN survey found that 28 per cent of girls in Iraq were married before they turned 18.
The establishment of the al-Mawadda Party is considered a significant milestone in the fight for women’s rights in Iraq.
Al-Taei has said the al-Mawadda Party has yet to establish formal cooperation with traditional parties, but they have received support from several parties, including the Communist Party and civil society organisations that took part in the founding conference.
Iraq’s next parliamentary election will be on November 11th, and to campaign, the al-Mawadda Party has begun organising programming, including awareness workshops and an online portal for media membership.