Iraq's statue divide: A gendered contrast
Shafaq News/ Public statues serve as tangible acknowledgments of a nation’s historical and cultural figures. In Iraq, however, the representation of women in such memorials remains significantly limited. This disparity is particularly evident when comparing Baghdad and central and southern Iraq to the Kurdistan Region, where female figures have received greater recognition.
Limited Recognition in Baghdad
Despite Iraq’s rich history of female contributions in literature, science, and the arts, Baghdad’s public spaces largely omit women from its sculptural tributes. Only a handful of statues stand in honor of female figures, including poet Nazik Al-Malaika, Scheherazade, and architect Zaha Hadid. Even efforts such as the Pioneers Garden, established within the Iraqi Media Network by Mujahed Abu Al-Hail, have struggled to gain widespread recognition and support.
Abu Al-Hail attributes this scarcity to a predominantly male-dominated mindset, which has historically sidelined influential women from public commemoration. Speaking to Shafaq News, he emphasized the importance of rectifying this imbalance, “When I conceived the idea of establishing the Pioneers Garden within the network’s premises and creating memorials for women who left their mark on the Iraqi scene, I specifically requested a monument for the first female Iraqi broadcaster, not just the first broadcaster.”
Provincial Reluctance and Controversies
Outside Baghdad, the representation of women in statues is even more limited. Basra has a single statue commemorating a female teacher who lost her life in a bombing, while Dhi Qar and Maysan feature sculptures of Sumerian and Maissan women. Al-Diwaniyah’s ‘Mother of Swadi,’ at 23 meters, stands as the most prominent female statue in southern Iraq, yet such memorials frequently encounter religious and social backlash.
Dhi Qar University academic Mohammed Hareeb underscored these tensions, stating, “There are religious and social reservations about the erection of monuments and statues in the province, particularly those depicting women.”
“Even the statue of the Sumerian woman has sparked controversy, with some calling for its removal,” Hareeb told Shafaq News. He further criticized the focus on historical rather than contemporary female figures, arguing that “modern Iraqi women who have made significant contributions are often ignored.”
Financial and Bureaucratic Barriers
The Iraqi Ministry of Culture cites financial constraints as a key factor behind the lack of statues honoring women. Ministry spokesperson Ahmed Al-Aliawi explained to Shafaq News that “creating statues requires financial investment, which is beyond the ministry’s current capacity.”
Al-aliawi clarified that the absence of official records on the number of statues in Iraq complicates efforts to address the gender disparity in public memorials.
Sculptors and artists also point to bureaucratic obstacles. Hassan Abdul Razzaq, a sculptor, expressed frustration over stalled projects meant to honor accomplished women. “It’s unreasonable to expect a sculptor to spend vast sums of money creating a statue without a commission from an organization,” Abdul Razzaq remarked. “Otherwise, the statue remains just a decorative piece.”
“Artists have repeatedly approached relevant authorities with proposals for memorials,” he told Shafaq News, adding, “But these efforts have largely been met with inaction.”
Kurdistan’s Proactive Approach
In contrast, the Kurdistan Region has actively recognized women’s contributions through public statues. One striking example is the installation of 120 statues of Kurdish women in Downtown Erbil, a project involving 40 sculptors.
The Region also unveiled the ‘Woman, Symbol of Peace and Life’ statue near Erbil Airport in 2019, paying tribute to women’s roles in Kurdish society. Additionally, the Yazidi mother ‘Mother Koli,’ who courageously resisted ISIS militants, has been immortalized in a public sculpture.
Cultural and Societal Disparities
The stark contrast between Baghdad and the Kurdistan Region underscores broader societal and political differences within Iraq. While financial constraints are often cited as a reason for the lack of female statues, deeper cultural reluctance and gender biases remain the primary obstacles.
Social affairs researcher Ahmed Al-Dhahabi emphasized this issue, stating, “Society does not give women their due recognition. The Ministry of Culture has an obligation to honor the achievements of creative and accomplished women through cultural landmarks.”
Al-Dhahabi lamented to Shafaq News that Iraqi women serve as a shining example of creativity in every facet of life, demonstrating an exceptional ability to innovate and solve problems.
“There is a deficiency in erecting statues of accomplished and creative Iraqi women. A developed society should immortalize all who deserve it through monuments and memorials,” he concluded.
