In an emergency meeting, representatives of women’s networks, alliances and organizations, and feminist figures and personalities, discussed the severe political crisis currently unfolding in Iraq and its grave repercussions for community peace. This crisis has revealed a catastrophic failure of the political process that has, for two decades, been based on sectarian, partisan, and factional quotas as the standard political approach to the system of government without a constitutional or legal basis. The situation has so far resulted in the rampant, flagrant corruption of state institutions and society, the proliferation of arms in the hands of militias and tribal groups, and impunity as the prominent feature of the justice system. Decisions by the Federal Supreme Court have also contributed to the ossification of the current political crisis, instead of attempting to dismantle or resolve it for the public interest. Meanwhile, the sovereignty of Iraq has been continually undermined and violated, as our country faced terrorist incursions and continuous foreign military interventions. Overall, this situation has yielded a terrible deterioration of economic, social, cultural, health, and environmental conditions in Iraq, as well as the violation of the rights and liberties of citizens, further deepening the crisis and compounding the people’s mistrust in the ruling class and public institutions.

This general deterioration, especially the weak rule of law and inadequacy of law enforcement institutions, was also reflected in women’s realities and conditions and their loss of safety and protection, as various forms of violence, abuse, marginalization and exclusion against women proliferated at the level of family and society, and in public institutions.

As representatives of civil society, and based on our commitment to strengthening the pillars of democratic governance and social cohesion, with citizens as the source of political authority and its legitimacy, and upholding the peaceful transfer of power and the separation and independence of powers, we affirm that sweeping political change is a fundamental priority brought to the fore by the popular movement of October 2019. The latter called for adherence to national identity and peaceful means of addressing the current crises in a comprehensive manner, starting from the dismantling of the quota-based sectarian and factional system and the reigning corruption and terrorism cartels, and ending impunity and the uncontrolled and unaccountable proliferation of arms and armed groups outside state institutions, in order to achieve a civil state based on the principle of citizenship, which embraces diversity and social justice.

We call for the following measures to be taken immediately:

1. Dissolving the Council of Representatives, and forming an interim transitional government comprised of competent patriotic figures who are not subject to the will and pressures of influential political parties and blocs, and who possess the experience and jurisdiction to undertake the following:

-         Rebuilding and developing state institutions transparently and on the basis of equity, equal opportunity, and integrity, while ensuring fair and equitable participation for women.

-         Restricting the possession of arms to the relevant government agencies.

-         Ensuring freedom of expression, assembly, and peaceful demonstration by providing full protection for protestors and places of public demonstration, and holding accountable those who threaten their safety.

-         Implementing serious, tangible plans to address the deterioration of basic services in healthcare, education, and environmental protection sectors.

-         Creating proper conditions and a safe environment for free and fair elections within a defined timeframe.

-         Subjecting the transitional government to legal accountability by relevant stakeholders, including citizens and legal entities.

1. Enabling judicial institutions to play an effective role in curbing incitement, strife, and hate speech that threatens civil peace and community stability, whether propagated by political leaders or the media; prosecuting the perpetrators of assassination, abduction, enforced disappearance, and torture of demonstrators and civil activists; and subjecting the corruption and terrorism cartels to transparent legal accountability.
2. Sponsoring, through the government, a process of comprehensive national dialogue on the basis of equal citizenship, grounded in Iraqi national belonging, away from so-called “balance” and “accord.” Such a process of dialogue must aim to reach an agreement and consensus for a national democratic program of action to restructure the political system, and define the stages, mechanisms and tools for its implementation. All Iraqi political forces, parties, civil society organizations and unions must contribute to the formulation of this program, along with professional associations and syndicates, cultural figures, and community representatives, all striving to put an end to the hotbeds of tension and conflict and to dismantle the system of confessionalism and sectarianism, in order to establish security and peace and protect the rights of all citizens without discrimination or preference.

We affirm that women are active partners in the desired process of change to restore our unifying national identity, build stability, security, and peace, and achieve the good of our country.

Baghdad - August 3rd, 2022

Signatory networks and alliances:

1. Iraqi Women Network
2. Women for Peace Network (WPN)
3. My Right (Haqqi) Network for Women Human Rights Defenders/Iraq
4. Women Leaders of Peace Group in Kurdistan
5. Iraqi Network for UNSCR 1325
6. Tam Network for Sustainable Development (TAM NSD 2030)