Women’s representation has declined compared to the previous term, with female candidates winning just 25 seats independently, without relying on the quota results.
According to the final outcomes of the sixth parliamentary elections held on November 11, 2025, women—including those from minority groups—won a total of 84 out of 329 seats.
This is only one seat more than the quota guaranteed to them. Under Iraqi electoral law, 25 percent of parliamentary seats (83 of 329) are reserved for women. In the previous election, however, women secured 14 seats more than the quota.
Of the 84 women who won this year, only 25 gained seats solely through their own votes. In the previous elections, 57 women achieved victory without relying on the women quota system.
During the fifth parliamentary elections in October 2021, women won 97 seats. Yet this strong parliamentary presence was not mirrored in the executive branch, as only three women served as ministers in Mohammed Shia’ al-Sudani’s 23-member cabinet—about 13 percent.
From 1925 until 1980, women were barred from running for parliament in Iraq. After that period, they gradually gained the right to obtain seats in parliament or the People’s Assembly.
Following the political changes after 2003, the constitution and subsequent laws introduced a quota ensuring that no less than 25 percent of parliamentary seats go to women, enabling their participation in public affairs and political life, including voting and standing for elections.
In the first post-2003 parliamentary elections in 2005, women won 70 of 275 seats. In 2010, when the number of seats increased to 325, women won 83 seats.
In the 2014 elections, 83 women entered parliament, 22 of them through their own votes without relying on the quota. In the 2018 parliamentary session, women won 84 out of 329 seats, some through direct votes.
Beyond the national parliament, the most recent provincial council elections in December 2023 resulted in 76 women being elected, 17 of whom won without the quota system, including three who received the highest vote counts.
According to the 2024 census, women make up about 23 million of Iraq’s population—roughly 49.8 percent.
