We, Iraqi women, are subjected to injustice and tyranny by our father, brother, government, religious sheiks, and Iraqi men. They try to kill us in the name of “honor “no matter how hard we try. They always say that women are a disgrace, that women belong in the kitchen, that women should not study, and that women only have to raise children. All people, including a woman’s family, neighbors, and even those close to her, control her life. She cannot laugh out loud in the street. They call her a whore. She cannot even run or play sports. She cannot dress freely because she is constantly harassed. They attack her honor and call her a whore for no reason.

In my country, when a husband wants to get rid of his wife, he kills her under the pretext of “honor.” Oftentimes, he claims she was caught committing adultery. Under Iraqi law, the father, brother, and husband are not held accountable if they kill a girl under the pretext of “honor” and washing away shame.

The veil is imposed on girls from the age of 9, and from this age, we are imprisoned in the house, only allowed to go out when absolutely necessary. Many girls are deprived of education by their families, and those who continue their studies do so in an oppressive environment controlled by their fathers and brothers. We have a law in Iraq that does not allow the wife to go out without the permission of the father, brother, or husband.

We are in a very bad situation in Iraq. Even when a girl wears long jeans, she is defamed, and her reputation is ruined because they consider her a prostitute based on her clothes. Her father or brother kills her because she is deemed disgraced for losing her virginity, while the rapist lives on without being held accountable. This is just a small part of the dire situation women face in Iraq. 

Men have the right to go out, have fun, marry multiple women, go to nightclubs, and travel, while the Iraqi woman stays at home like a prison. She does not go out even when she wants to go to the market. She cannot go out even when she goes to her friend. She does not go for a long time and must get permission from everyone.

A 9-year-old girl should not be married. We went out to demonstrate, and our actions were shared on social media, but we were met with slander and defamation. We were chased through the demonstration squares in different cities across Iraq, and women were beaten in the city of Najaf. As they beat us, they shouted, "No to feminists, no to embassy girls, no to deviants from religion, no to those demanding freedom."

I hope that everyone will help convey our voice to the whole world. In my country, men call foreign women prostitutes because they are strong and free. They despise free women and would rather kill them than see them live freely. We are trapped in a purely male-dominated society, and there are millions of us.

We are being subjected to injustice if we demand freedom. Please help us. A father marries his minor daughter when she reaches the age of 9 to an elderly cleric under the pretext that she will not abandon her religion, will wear the hijab and the abaya, will not leave the house, and will only enjoy the man sexually, without the beating that this girl is subjected to. We want secular rule. We want a new government.

Nadia*, 24, Iraq

*Names have been changed.