The feminization of Iraq through renaming public spaces

Following the recent suggested amendments of the personal status law in Iraq which provoked angry feminist reactions (https://goo.gl/3MaAXD), the National Group for Cultural Policies in Iraq launched the ‘Feminization of Iraq’ initiative which covers the complete official correspondence to this effect. The goal is to remind Iraqi members of Parliament of the importance of women and their role starting from celebrating creative or militant feminist figures, as well as, emerging or successful new experiences. The above group clarified in a statement that, as the news and press releases refer in writing to Iraq as masculine, the initiative extends a space for Iraqi women present in governmental and non-governmental institutions. It demands that the streets or town halls be named after distinguished women in the media or martyrs in countering terrorism, the statement said. To this effect, the initiative asked the municipal council of Karada district to name a street after the late architect Zaha Hadid, and requested from the administration of Hadid’s Rahibat al Takdima elementary school in central Karada to name one of the halls in her name. Also, Al Mansour municipal department proposed naming one of its streets after the fine artist Wadad Urfali. On the above initiative, the general coordinator of the National Group for Cultural Policies, Hussam Seray, disclosed that the first accomplishment of the group was the voting by the municipal council of Karada to honor Hadid with a street. The Group which was launched back in 2015, anticipates interaction and response to the initiative to the end of celebrating not only the names of late renowned women but also those of promising new talents, Seray explained. (Al Hayat, December 18, 2017)
                                                                                                                             
Previous related news:
UN urges Iraq to safeguard women’s rights
Conservative amendments of Iraqi personal status law draw feminist criticisms