Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women

Ninety-second session

Summary record of the 2183rd meeting

Held at the Palais des Nations, Geneva, on Wednesday, 4 February 2026, at 3 p.m.

Chair:Ms. Haidar

Contents

Consideration of reports submitted by States Parties under article 18 of the Convention (continued)

Eighth periodic report of Iraq (continued)

The meeting was called to order at 3 p.m.

Consideration of reports submitted by States Parties under article 18 of the Convention (continued)

Eighth periodic report of Iraq (continued) (CEDAW/C/IRQ/8; CEDAW/C/IRQ/Q/8; CEDAW/C/IRQ/RQ/8)

At the invitation of the Chair, the delegation of Iraq joined the meeting.

Articles 10–14

Ms. Pia-Comella said that, while she recognized the State Party’s efforts in the area of education, she was concerned to note that the Education Act (No. 118) made education compulsory only at the primary level; the female illiteracy rate was still high, especially in rural areas, as was the dropout rate among girls due to poverty, insecurity, early marriage and forced marriage; Yazidi girls and women lacked adequate access to education; and women and girls in rural and conflict-affected regions continued to face educational inequalities, with refugee, returnee and internally displaced women and girls, alongside women and girls with disabilities and from ethnic minorities, disproportionately affected and facing a higher risk of exclusion. She wished to know what measures were being taken to ensure that all girls and women had access to education and that education was compulsory for girls until the end of secondary school. She would also be interested to know what was being done to address overcrowding in classes and the lack of sanitation and accessibility in schools and universities. Lastly, she would like to know whether the State Party was considering reforming the curricula for primary, secondary and higher education so as to incorporate teaching on human rights and women’s rights consistent with the spirit and provisions of the Convention.

A representative of Iraq said that a back-to-school campaign had been officially launched in cooperation with the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) in September 2024. Over a period of 45 days, field teams had conducted intensive tours, during which they had identified children who had dropped out of or were absent from school. The field teams had managed to re-enrol many thousands of children in formal and non-formal education, including in accelerated learning schools and literacy centres. Many children who had dropped out of school had done so in order to enter the labour market. More than two thirds of the parents had been willing to send their children back to school. The Government had introduced scholarships to encourage children who had dropped out to return to school. The Ministry of Education also paid particular attention to adult education and provided literacy training to thousands of women, both Iraqi and non-Iraqi, in urban and rural areas. In addition it had taken a series of measures to address the reasons for girls’ school dropout, including media campaigns focusing on the importance of girls’ education. It had introduced mechanisms to support girls’ return to school and special classes and schools for young people who had not completed their education.

Ms. Akizuki said that she would appreciate up-to-date statistics on women’s labour force participation and the gender pay gap, disaggregated by sector and region, and details of concrete measures taken to address occupational segregation and wage disparities. She would also welcome clarification of how the provisions of the Labour Code on maternity leave were enforced in practice, particularly in the private sector, along with data on labour inspections, violations detected and penalties imposed since 2019. With regard to sexual harassment in the workplace, she would like to know how many complaints, investigations, prosecutions and convictions there had been since 2019 and what mechanisms were in place to ensure safe, confidential and accessible reporting for women workers, including in the informal economy.

She would be interested to know how Act No. 18 (2023) had expanded social security and pension coverage to women working in the informal sector and how many women had benefited from those measures. She would also be interested to hear how the authorities ensured the affordability, accessibility and quality of public and private childcare facilities, particularly for low-income, rural and working women, and whether there were plans to significantly expand public childcare services. Given that Iraq had not yet ratified the International Labour Organization (ILO) Workers with Family Responsibilities Convention, 1981 (No. 156), it would be helpful to know what legal or policy measures were in place to promote the equal sharing of unpaid care and domestic work between women and men, including paternity or parental leave or flexible working arrangements.

She would welcome disaggregated data on the employment situation of women with disabilities, rural women and women belonging to ethnic and religious minorities in both the formal and the informal sectors. She wondered how the impact of women’s economic empowerment programmes was evaluated and whether they had produced measurable outcomes, such as changes in the employment rate or income levels. Lastly, she wished to know whether any studies had been conducted on the working conditions of women migrant workers, including the impact of the sponsorship system, and what safeguards were in place to protect such women from discrimination, exploitation and exclusion from social protection schemes.

A representative of Iraq said that the right to work was regulated by law in accordance with article 22 of the Constitution. The Labour Code of 2015 had been drafted in cooperation with ILO. Iraq had ratified 71 ILO conventions and was currently preparing to accede to the Violence and Harassment Convention, 2019 (No. 190). The Labour Code regulated the relationship between workers and employers only in the private sector, which comprised the formal and informal sectors and self-employed workers. Whereas previous social security legislation had covered only the formal sector, the new law regulated both the formal and the informal sectors. Comprehensive disaggregated statistics on women workers in the social security system would be submitted to the Committee in writing.

The rights of women workers, such as the rights to fair pay, a safe working environment, maternity and protection from discrimination, were covered in labour laws. Nonetheless, women workers continued to face challenges, including wage discrimination in certain sectors and restrictions in accessing promotions due to traditional views on gender roles in Iraqi society. The Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs monitored the implementation of labour laws and sought to enforce compliance with provisions relating to women’s rights. It also conducted awareness-raising campaigns on women’s rights at work, especially in rural and remote areas, in cooperation with civil society and international organizations. Furthermore, it organized training programmes for women in various fields, such as technology, business management and handicrafts, that qualified them for jobs in the public and private sectors, as well as entrepreneurship training for women who wished to set up small businesses.

The Ministry cooperated with international organizations such as ILO to improve labour laws and working conditions, promote women’s participation in the labour market and provide safe working environments for women. Workshops and seminars on women’s rights and reducing discrimination in the workplace were organized for the private sector and local organizations. Labour inspection committees, comprising representatives of the Government, trade unions and employers’ unions, visited workplaces, documented violations and issued warnings to employers. In the event of non-compliance, the case was referred to the courts, and the offender was liable to imprisonment or a fine.

With regard to migrant domestic workers, a distinction must be made between workers who had entered the country officially and obtained a work permit from the Ministry of Labour, and those who had not. It was difficult for the Ministry to monitor the situation of the latter workers, which made them more vulnerable to abuse and violations.

A representative of Iraq said that the Ministry of Education in the Kurdistan Region was working to address gender inequality in the education sector. Statistics for the 2024/25 academic year showed that the school enrolment rate had been 52% for boys and 48% for girls. A total of 2,721 female students had been enrolled in vocational education, and 10,964 in technical education. The Kurdistan Regional Government had also launched back‑to‑school programmes, which had resulted in the reintegration of 33,271 students who had dropped out of the education system over the past three years. Between 2022 and 2025, 116 women had benefited from education programmes in correctional institutions.

Between 2019 and 2025, the total number of women seeking employment had reached 9,913, and 3,873 job opportunities had been provided. Employment programmes had contributed to the entry of 1,143 women into the labour market. Programmes to support women in small businesses were also being implemented as part of policies to empower women economically and promote their financial independence. A total of 3,161 Iraqi and foreign women were registered as working in the private sector. A total of 47,319 women were registered in the social security system – 41,953 local workers and 5,266 foreign workers. Women workers in the private sector could submit complaints via the 5500 hotline, which were followed up by the relevant inspection committees.

Ms. Akizuki said that, as the low rate of women’s participation in the labour market was largely the result of stereotypes and social norms, awareness-raising was required not only to teach women about their rights, but also to teach men with a view to changing such norms.

Ms. de Silva de Alwis said that she would welcome information on any efforts made to address menstrual poverty and ensure the availability of menstrual products in educational institutions and to incorporate citizenship and peacebuilding into the educational curriculum. The delegation might also comment on the concept of care as a human right and support among employers for that right.

Ms. Mu said that she wished to know when the revision of the relevant laws to decriminalize abortion in certain circumstances would be completed and what was being done to guarantee women’s reproductive autonomy, access to safe abortion and post-abortion healthcare. She would also be interested to hear what measures were planned to ensure universal access to comprehensive sexual and reproductive health services, including family planning and maternal care, particularly for women in rural and conflict-affected areas and from vulnerable groups. She wondered what steps would be taken to provide quality medical services, including health advice and adequate nutritional support, to women who had given birth in the context of an early and/or forced marriage. Lastly, she would welcome information on the measures that had been taken to meet the sexual and reproductive health needs of Yazidi women, including with regard to HIV treatment and prevention, and to address the mental health concerns of victims of gender-based violence, survivors of conflict and women displaced by the climate crisis.

A representative of Iraq said that the Government had issued a set of regulations and procedures concerning termination of pregnancy for women suffering from a range of conditions, such as unresponsive high blood pressure, heart disease, cancer, mental illness and incurable diseases. In the event of a fatal fetal abnormality, a committee comprising doctors from various specializations was convened to consider the appropriateness of termination. Emergency contraception was provided in cases of sexual assault.

The Ministry of Health allocated 71% of its budget to women’s and children’s health. Women had accounted for the largest share of the increase in demand for services between 2021 and 2023. The Ministry had allocated considerable funds to maternal, child and reproductive health programmes and the family medicine programme, among others. As a result of the adoption of the National Strategy for Family Planning and Birth Spacing, a focus on family planning services in remote areas and the provision of contraceptives via mobile clinics across all health districts, the maternal mortality rate had fallen from 29.6 per 100,000 live births to 27.2 per 100,000 live births in the past two years. Postnatal family planning services had been introduced in hospitals and health centres that provided obstetric care, and many new health centres offering family planning services had been opened between 2023 and 2025, particularly in rural areas. Furthermore, 157 awareness-raising and educational workshops and seminars had been delivered in 2025 to educate rural women on contraception and family planning. Eleven centres of excellence for family planning had been established as part of a pilot project in a number of governorates. A team of 75 trainers from various ministries had been trained to raise awareness of family planning and to educate teenage girls about their reproductive health rights and the risks of early marriage. Family planning had been integrated into the teaching curricula of nursing and midwifery colleges. A helpline established to provide free counselling services to young people received over 600 calls per month, and there were now 380 youth-friendly health centres offering counselling.

A guide had been prepared for premarital screening, which entailed screening for sexually transmitted infections and conditions such as thalassaemia, as well as an assessment of the couple’s psychological readiness. A total of 4,712 women had responded to a questionnaire developed to gauge their satisfaction with their childbirth experience, with a view to preventing obstetric violence and improving services for pregnant women in delivery rooms. Some 63% of the total number of births in public hospitals now took place in baby‑friendly facilities. Awareness and education campaigns were conducted regarding the importance of healthy nutrition for women, and folic acid tablets were distributed to pregnant women.

With regard to the health services provided to Yazidi survivors, more than 20 hospitals and health centres offering family planning services had been established in Kirkuk and Sinjar. An integrated medical team had been set up to provide medical services outside Iraq, paid for by the Iraqi Government. Medical services, including dental check-ups, emergency care, vaccinations and breast cancer screening, were available for women in displaced persons camps, along with psychological support. Critical cases were handled in collaboration with the Jiyan Foundation for Human Rights, which provided support in the camps.

Ms. Al-Shukairi said that she would be interested to know what measures the State Party intended to take to promote the economic and social empowerment of women and girls, particularly survivors and returnees and women in camps, and to guarantee their rights to self-sufficiency and equitable access to employment opportunities without discrimination. She also wished to know how the State Party would ensure the protection of the economic rights of women and girls in the context of marriage and divorce, particularly underage marriage and unregistered temporary marriage, and to address legal loopholes relating to the age for marriage and the multiplicity of applicable laws. She would be interested to hear how the State Party intended to integrate policies to combat violence with social and economic protection measures and to ensure the full implementation of the law on domestic violence to allow for the payment of compensation and the provision of support for economic reintegration, without the filing of complaints by survivors, and the establishment of transparent monitoring and accountability mechanisms. Lastly she wondered how the Personal Status Act was aligned with the principle of equality and how it addressed sectarian customs and practices that might hinder the economic and social empowerment of women.

A representative of Iraq said that the Economic Empowerment Plan for Iraqi Women (2020–2025) had aimed to remove barriers, create more economic opportunities and promote the participation of women in the private sector. In addition, the Riyada Initiative, launched by the Prime Minister to empower young people and jobseekers and equip them with the skills and knowledge to seek employment or become entrepreneurs, had provided significant opportunities for women, while a large number of women used the Mihan digital platform launched by the Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs. Regulations had been adopted to ensure that women-owned enterprises were given preference in the granting of procurement contracts. A number of skills training programmes had been implemented through the Ministry’s vocational training centres; in 2024, 14,468 female trainees had participated in vocational and entrepreneurial training programmes. The Central Bank had launched several initiatives to provide loans for small and medium-sized enterprises run by women, as well as the National Financial Inclusion Strategy (2025–2029) to strengthen the infrastructure for financial inclusion in order to increase women’s economic participation. Some 25% of soft loans from banks went to women, female breadwinners, widows and female conflict survivors, in coordination with the Ministry of Planning and the Development Fund. Employers had been instructed and educated about taking the circumstances of working women into account. Examples included not employing them in strenuous work, channelling pregnant women and nursing mothers away from work that posed health risks, and providing appropriate restrooms and separate sanitary facilities for women. In 2024, some 14,439 women had been hired, which was 55.51% of the total number of 26,012 in various ministries and non-ministerial bodies.

A representative of Iraq said that, although steady progress had been made in the areas of financial inclusion and entrepreneurship since 2019, challenges remained. Women had obtained loans for a variety of projects through the Support Fund for Income-generating Microprojects of the Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs. Initiatives were also in place to support agriculture and industry. With regard to access to social protection, some 2.3 million families were in receipt of cash assistance, among them 573,544 families headed by women, including widows, wives of missing persons, divorcees and unmarried adult women. Despite ongoing security, economic and social challenges, the Government was continuing its work in that area.

A representative of Iraq said that a number of measures had been taken to promote women’s participation in business, including the establishment of the Iraqi Businesswomen Council, a platform providing support to female entrepreneurs through advisory and networking services. A notable increase in the number of Iraqi businesswomen had since been observed. Moreover, under the Imprint Programme, bank loans were made available under advantageous conditions to eligible women seeking to establish a business. Another initiative, the “Pioneers of Change” programme, aimed to build the capacities of businesswomen through specialized training activities.

A representative of Iraq said that the Government and the World Bank were engaged in joint efforts to empower women, including through initiatives promoting financial inclusion, childcare support and the collection of disaggregated data relating to women’s participation in the private sector. The High Council for Women and Development had considered a number of policy papers on women’s economic empowerment. Under the Guarantee Platform, women operating home-based businesses could receive a pension upon reaching retirement age if they registered their business with the Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs.

Ms. Al-Shukairi said that she would welcome information on the policies and strategies in place to remove social and structural barriers to the participation of women and girls in sport and cultural activities; develop sport and cultural infrastructure, particularly in rural areas; and strengthen the presence of women in leadership positions within sport and cultural institutions.

The Chair said that, in view of the limited meeting time remaining, she wished to invite the delegation to submit its responses to Ms. Al-Shukairi’s questions in writing.

Ms. Toledo Vásquez said that she wished to know how the amended Act No. 38 of 2013 concerning persons with disabilities and special needs provided for affirmative measures to promote economic empowerment, political participation and access to basic services for women and girls with disabilities. She also wished to know whether disaggregated data were collected to evaluate the impact of public policies on disability and whether women with disabilities were directly involved in the design of such policies.

She would appreciate disaggregated data on the total number of women deprived of their liberty. Moreover, in the light of persistent reports of inadequate conditions for women prisoners and the lack of specialized legal defence services tailored to their needs, she wished to know how the bill on non-custodial penalties would specifically benefit women and what additional measures were envisaged to ensure effective implementation of the United Nations Rules for the Treatment of Women Prisoners and Non-custodial Measures for Women Offenders (the Bangkok Rules) and the United Nations Standard Minimum Rules for the Treatment of Prisoners (the Nelson Mandela Rules).

Lastly, the Committee was concerned about reports that women human rights defenders faced attacks and risked being pursued under criminal law for their activities. She would welcome details of the initiatives in place to ensure prompt and impartial investigations into attacks on women human rights defenders, as well as any plans to establish an independent national protection mechanism for them, with rapid and confidential response capacity, and to eliminate unjustified financial restrictions on civil society organizations.

Ms. Reddock said that she wished to know more about the work and organization of the Higher Committee for the Advancement of the Status of Rural Women, particularly how it contributed to the improvement of rural women’s access to justice, land and agricultural support, healthcare, social services, education and vocational training, housing, economic opportunities and Internet connectivity. She would also welcome information on initiatives to address patriarchal attitudes and stereotypes in rural communities that impeded adherence to policies and laws concerning women and girls.

The Committee had been made aware of concerns that women in Iraq were disproportionately affected by the consequences of climate change. In that regard, she would be grateful for information on the steps taken by the State Party to ensure the full and effective participation of women and girls in decision-making on climate change mitigation and adaptation, disaster response and disaster risk reduction, and on the integration of a gender perspective into relevant legislation, policies and programmes, including those relating to rural development and climate-resilient agricultural practices.

In the light of reports that Iraqis of African descent continued to be referred to by derogatory terms in Iraqi society, remained without parliamentary representation and were present in very few other institutions, she wished to know what mechanisms were in place to address the ongoing stigmatization, social and economic marginalization and discrimination faced by Iraqi women of African descent, particularly given the State Party’s assertion that public institutions did not discriminate on the basis of colour, gender, race, religion or sect.

A representative of Iraq said that there was no discrimination against persons of African descent in Iraq. Black Iraqis lived freely and many sought election to the parliament; the allocation of seats was, however, determined by the electoral process.

A representative of Iraq said that the Commission for the Care of Persons with Disabilities and Special Needs had been established under Act No. 38 to oversee the implementation of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. Iraq counted over 1.8 million women with disabilities. The authorities endeavoured to provide healthcare and other services for such women, including assistance for those who were unable to live independently; full-time caregivers, whether mothers or other individuals, received remuneration from the Government. Policy formulation in the area of disability was conducted through a board that included representatives with visual, auditory and physical disabilities, in accordance with the principle of participatory decision-making. Comprehensive disaggregated data on women with disabilities and disability services would be shared with the Committee in writing.

A representative of Iraq said that rural women constituted just under one third of all women in Iraq, with data indicating significant recent displacement of such women from rural to urban areas as a result of climate change. Relevant initiatives included the establishment of the National Women’s Team to Support Energy and Reduce Emissions; the launch of a women-led initiative to plant over 5 million trees; and the organization of various awareness-raising and training activities for rural women. Under a project to support the agricultural livelihoods of rural returnees, hundreds of women had been trained in dairy production. A female climate entrepreneur project had benefited more than 600 women. Additional measures had included a beehive keepers programme through which women had received financial assistance to establish apiaries, a modern irrigation technologies programme in which around 700 women had participated, training on strengthening the resilience of agricultural food systems for women graduates of agricultural programmes and land revitalization initiatives in southern Iraq supported by the Central Bank.

A representative of Iraq said that the State adhered to international standards on the treatment of prison inmates. All necessary healthcare was provided for female inmates, including care for pregnant women and arrangements permitting mothers to keep their infants with them. Nurseries staffed by female supervisors were also available. The Ministry of Justice was cooperating with the education authorities to expand educational opportunities for inmates by offering classes in most detention centres, to facilitate reintegration into society. The provision of food and other public services within prisons was based on internationally approved standards.

With respect to overcrowding, the Ministry of Justice had adopted a multi-year plan to expand detention capacity. There was currently no overcrowding in women’s prisons, reflecting the impact of sustained efforts under that plan. The Ministry had also established an alternative sentencing scheme to enable the release and social reintegration of a number of inmates, including women. Oversight of detention conditions, encompassing both the general situation and the human rights situation, was conducted through direct inspections by a range of supervisory bodies, including the public prosecution service and the High Commission for Human Rights.

A representative of Iraq said that the National Environment Strategy 2024–2030, alongside various national programmes to increase reliance on renewable energy, reduce emissions and combat desertification, addressed the impact of climate change on women. A group of female researchers had been tasked with working on climate-resilient crop varieties. Over 700 women had been reached through an initiative to support families in climate‑affected areas by creating livelihood opportunities for climate-vulnerable households, particularly smallholders and dairy farmers, and thousands of women had benefited from the irrigation and agricultural livelihood support programmes mentioned earlier. The “Climate Wise Women” project aimed to empower rural women and strengthen their resilience to climate change. More than 6,000 women had been provided with agricultural equipment designed to help mitigate climate impacts under large-scale energy sustainability initiatives.

A representative of Iraq said that the primary defender of human rights was the Iraqi State itself. The State had developed comprehensive legislative and administrative infrastructure in the field of human rights; the current legal framework constituted the foremost guarantee of protection for human rights defenders. The complaints mechanism operated by the executive authority, the rapid responses it generated and the professional conduct of the police provided assurance against the recurrence of violations. There were no prisoners of conscience in Iraq.

The Chair said that the Committee was not alleging persecution of women human rights defenders by the State. Rather, it had evidence that women human rights defenders were subjected to persecution on social media, including in the form of threats, and that some had been compelled to flee their homes in the absence of effective protection, irrespective of the source of the threat.

Ms. Toledo Vásquez said that the purpose of her earlier question on women human rights defenders had been to understand what protections were being afforded in response to attacks and threats against such defenders.

The Chair invited the delegation to submit its responses to any outstanding questions under the current article cluster in writing.

Articles 15 and 16

Ms. González Ferrer said that she wished to know when the State Party would repeal the provisions permitting husbands to discipline their wives and enabling aggressors to avoid punishment by marrying their victim; when marital rape would be expressly criminalized without exception; what measures were planned to eliminate defence of honour as a mitigating factor in criminal law and ensure proportionate penalties for perpetrators of so‑called honour crimes; and how it was ensured that reconciliation and mediation mechanisms in domestic violence cases did not replace criminal investigation, immediate protection and full reparation.

She would like to know how the State Party would ensure that the approval and implementation of the Jaafari Personal Status Code did not perpetuate gender discrimination or violate women’s human rights and that no woman was subjected to a change in the legal regime governing her marriage without her full informed consent. She would welcome information on plans to establish 18 as the absolute minimum age for marriage and to close religious and informal pathways to marriage lacking judicial oversight. She would also appreciate information on plans to ensure mandatory marriage registration, protect women and children in unregistered unions, guarantee substantive equality in matters of inheritance and property and prevent coercion or forced renunciation of succession rights. Information on how the rights of women in polygamous marriages were ensured would likewise be appreciated.

The delegation might explain what concrete measures were planned to ensure the effective investigation and punishment of crimes committed against Yazidi women, along with effective protection for complainants and witnesses, and what steps would be taken to guarantee that civil status, identity or religious rules did not give rise to discrimination against Yazidi women and their children with respect to documentation, protection and the full enjoyment of their rights.

Lastly, she wondered whether the State Party maintained gender-disaggregated data on women sentenced to death and executed, and what safeguards ensured fair trials free from gender stereotypes, particularly in cases involving domestic violence, coercion or honour‑related dynamics.

A representative of Iraq said that article 41 of the Criminal Code, which, it had been claimed, allowed parents to physically discipline their children and husbands to beat their wives, was no longer applicable. The Federal Supreme Court – the highest court in Iraq, whose decisions were binding on all Iraqi institutions – had ruled that the article was unconstitutional. Accordingly, no parent, husband or teacher could engage in, or seek to justify, such conduct by invoking that article. The position was unambiguous: Iraq did not permit, in any form or under any circumstance, violence against wives or children under the Criminal Code. With regard to so-called honour crimes, article 409 of the Criminal Code established a mitigating circumstance reducing the maximum penalty to 3 years’ imprisonment where a person killed his or her spouse upon discovering the spouse in a compromising situation – based on the principle that full criminal responsibility required both free action and full awareness, conditions potentially unmet in such a moment of shock. The provision was gender-neutral in its drafting and the Federal Supreme Court had affirmed that women discovering equivalent circumstances were entitled to the same mitigation as men. Premeditation voided the mitigation entirely: where suspicion preceded the act, surveillance occurred or any planning was involved, the full penalty applied.

Ms. de Silva de Alwis said that she urged the State Party to withdraw its reservations to articles 2 (f) and (g) and 16 of the Convention. Those articles went to the very core and substance of the Convention. Iraq had set an excellent precedent by withdrawing its reservation to article 9 in 2014. Twelve years later, the time had come for Iraq to be in full compliance with the Convention, particularly given its evident commitment to the international global order.

The Chair said that the dialogue with the State Party’s delegation had been highly productive and dynamic. She had confidence in Iraq as a country of significant historical and civilizational standing and believed that the concerns raised during the dialogue would receive the attention they merited.

A representative of Iraq, summarizing the challenges faced, said that human rights bodies within public institutions had limited financial and human resources, while implementation of national strategies was hampered by funding constraints. Complaints were increasing, reflecting greater public awareness of women’s rights, but also shortcomings in their realization. Electronic crimes and hate speech posed growing challenges to the legal and regulatory framework. Women's political participation remained at an early stage, dependent on quotas rather than open competition, and women candidates faced social media defamation campaigns. Vocational and technical training for girls remained insufficient. Further challenges included the long‑term psychological and social impact of conflict on survivors, the need for clear professional policies to advance women into senior security and defence roles and the importance of enhanced regional and international judicial cooperation in counter-terrorism.

A representative of Iraq said that constructive engagement with the Committee offered a valuable opportunity to receive recommendations that would serve to strengthen the human rights situation in general and the rights of women in particular. The Committee’s concluding observations and recommendations would be examined thoroughly in the formulation of strategies to ensure the fulfilment by Iraq of its obligations under the Convention.

The meeting rose at 5.10 p.m.