It is 10 years after the invasion of Iraq, and images of Iraqi
women from various political parties are filling the streets of
Baghdad ahead of April's local elections -- a sign to casual
observers that women's equality is on track in this war-ravaged
country. But although the women of Iraq have obtained some
benefits on paper, the reality is that they have lost far more
than they have gained since the war began in 2003. On the
political front, Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki has not
appointed a single woman to a senior cabinet position, despite
the fact women are guaranteed 25% of the seats in parliament by
the constitution. The Ministry of Women's Affairs, a poorly-
funded and mostly ceremonial department, is the lone ministry
headed up by a woman. Constitutionally, women were able to
secure the ability to pass their citizenship on to their
children by non-Iraqi husbands, making Iraq one of a handful
Arab countries with such a provision for their female citizens.
But on the other hand, women are no long