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SPATIAL DISPARITY FOR POLITICAL GENDER DISCRIMINATION AND HIGHER ADMINISTRATIONS IN THE GOVERNORATES OF THE MIDDLE
EUPHRATES
DHEYAA JAAFAR ALNAJM, SAFAA M. ALMUDHAFAR, RANA ABDEL-HASSAN AL-KITAB
University of Kufa, Faculty of Arts, Department of Geography, Najaf, Iraq Corresponding Author: [email protected]
Abstract
The size of the urban population is more than the size of the rural population, and the largest population size is in Babil Governorate, and the lowest population is in Al-Muthanna Governorate during the years 2018 and 2020. The gender rate reached 101%, the highest percentage in Babil Governorate, which amounted to 102%, and the lowest percentage in Najaf Governorate, which amounted to 100% during the years 2018 and 2020. The number of women's seats in the elections has reached 15 seats, the largest number of seats in the province of Babil, which is (4), and the lowest number of seats in the province of Muthanna, which is (2). The senior positions in the universities of the study area amounted to (10) positions, while it was a very small or nonexistent percentage for the rest of the ministries.
Keywords: urban population, gender rate, Euphrates, administrations, senior positions
INTRODUCTION
The gender refers to the different roles, rights, and responsibilities of women and men, as well as the relationships between them. The Fourth International Conference on Women held in Beijing in 1995 concluded that men and women benefit from social and economic policies in a different way, and that the development process is affected by the contribution of all citizens without discrimination. Men and women share responsibilities represented in the gender relations of a specific society and a specific period, which in turn are formed from a wide range of institutions, represented in hierarchical relations that are often based on the marginalization of women. The governorates of the study area, where gender relations are dynamic and diverse, extend to many considerations, which will be explained in this research, the phenomenon of discrimination between women and men in the political and higher administrations. The research problem consists of two main questions:
1- What is the effect of the distribution of population between urban and rural areas on the (social gender) disparity on the political side and in higher administrations?
2- Does gender differ in the extent of women's participation in the political aspect and in higher administrations?
The hypothesis of this research came as follows:
1- The increase in the percentage of the rural population increases the manifestations of the social gender (the politician and the higher administrations).
2- The social gender tends to rise with a decrease in the percentage of women's participation in politics and senior management.
This study aims to reveal the spatial variation of political discrimination and higher administrations between the governorates of the Middle Euphrates, and to diagnose the mechanisms that can be adopted to raise the status of women in the family and in society and thus empower them economically and socially. This study was based on the analysis of spatial relationships, which is the basis in the science of geography. And it relied on the descriptive-analytical approach, which is based on describing the phenomenon in order to reach its causes, the variables that control it and draw conclusions for generalization. Spatial and temporal limits of the study
1- Spatial boundaries: The spatial boundaries of this study are represented by the governorates of the Middle Euphrates, whose astronomical location is determined between the two circles of latitude (4°, 29-3,33° N) and the arcs of longitude (43-45° East) and their geographical location within the central sedimentary plain. Which takes a geographical extension (northwest - southeast) and includes the five governorates (Babylon, Karbala, Najaf, Qadisiyah, Muthanna) (20) district centers and (40) sub-districts, and on the map (1) and constitutes an area of (98870) km2, which is equivalent to 22.7% of the country's area without the total territorial waters, which amount to (434128) km2, as noted in Table (1) and Maps (1). 2- Temporal limits: The temporal limits of this research are represented by the data for the years 2018 and 2020 for the governorates of the Middle Euphrates. Table (1) The area of the governorates of the study area for the year 2017
Area% Province Area Province
5.1 511 Babil
5.1 5034 Karbala
29.1 28824 Najaf
8.4 8153 Qadisiya
52.3 51740 Muthanna
%100 98870 Total Area
- Republic of Iraq, Ministry of Planning, Central Statistical Organization, Annual Statistical Abstract 2017, Table (1/1), pg. 4.
Map (1) governorates of the study area
- The General Commission for Survey, maps of administrative governorates, scale 1: 500,000, for the year 2003
Characteristics of the population: Population size:
From table (2) it is noted that the population size of the study area for the year 2018 has reached (6,860,785) people, the highest population size is in the province of Babylon, which is (2,065,042) people, and the lowest population is in Al-Muthanna Governorate, which is (814,371) people. In 2020, the population of the study area was (7,225,349) people, the highest population in the province of Babil reached (2,174,783) people, and the lowest number of the population was in Al-Muthanna Governorate (857,652) people.
Table (2) Population size of the study area for the years 2018 and 2020
Population 2020 Population 2018 Province N0.
Total Rural Area Urban Total Rural Area Urban
2174783 1124927 1049856 2065042 1068157 996885 Babil 1
1283484 425313 858171 1218732 403860 814872 Karbala 2
1549788 442977 1106811 1471592 420626 1050966 Najaf 3
1359642 580741 778901 1291048 551447 739601 Qadisiya 4
857652 459318 398334 814371 444538 369833 Muthanna 5
7225349 3033276 4192073 6860785 2888628 3972157 Total
Republic of Iraq, Ministry of Planning, Central Statistical Organization, Iraq Population Estimates 2015-2018, Population and Manpower Statistics Directorate, July 2018, Tables (180, 181, 184, 185, 196, 197, 200, 201, 204, 205). P. 275-300.
Republic of Iraq, Ministry of Planning, Central Statistical Organization, Iraq Population Data 2020, p.1, p. 17, p. 18, p.21, p.22, p.23.
Gender or sexual structure:
It is a biological phenomenon that is given on the basis of heredity and is subject to the laws of life and psychology, but in population studies it is useful to know the gender ratio, that is, the ratio of males to females, as the population is classified into males and females, as expressed by the gender ratio in statistical groups (Al-Miqdad, Abu Al-Qasim, Shaaban, 2014, p. 586 ), and the importance of studying the qualitative structure of the population is due to the fact that it is a basic determinant to know the needs of both males and females and the social and economic roles that each of them performs in life, and the proportion of males and females in the population has great importance in forming the form of the group and the speed of its movement and has a direct impact on births And deaths, marriage, immigration and occupational distribution, and many important social and economic relations depend on the existence of a balance between the numbers of the two types (males and females) or not. Multiply the result by a hundred (Al-Shawra, 2014, p. 169).
From table (3), it is noted that the gender ratio for the year 2018 reached 101%, the highest percentage in Babil Governorate, 102%, and the lowest percentage in Najaf Governorate, 100%, which are the same percentages for the year 2020.
Table (3) The spatial distribution of the population of the governorates of the study area by gender for the years 2018 and 2020
Population 2020 Population 2018 Provinces No.
Sex% Female Male Sex% Female Male
102 1075899 1098884 102 1021605 1043437 Babil 1
101 636022 647462 101 603934 614798 Karbala 2
100 772754 777034 100 733764 737828 Najaf 3
101 674362 685280 101 640337 650711 Qadisiya 4
101 426675 430977 101 405149 409222 Muthanna 5
101 3585712 3639637 101 3404829 3455996 Total
Republic of Iraq, Ministry of Planning, Central Statistical Organization, Iraq Population Estimates 2015-2018, Population and Manpower Statistics Directorate, July 2018, Tables (180, 181, 184, 185, 196, 197, 200, 201, 204, 205). P. 275-300.
Republic of Iraq, Ministry of Planning, Central Statistical Organization, Iraq Population Data 2020, p.1, p.17, p. 18, p.21, p.22, p.23.
Gender discrimination: Women's participation in politics:
Political participation is the participation of the masses and popular participation in the political process, i.e. the participation of large numbers of individuals and groups in political life, i.e. "that activity that ordinary citizens carry out with the intent of influencing the government decision-making process, whether this activity is individual or collective, regular or spontaneous, continuous or intermittent, sound Violent, legal or illegitimate, effective or ineffective", is the process by which the individual can play a role in political life with the aim of achieving the goals of social and economic development, provided that every citizen has the opportunity to contribute to setting the goals and knows the best means and methods to achieve them, provided that he Citizen participation in those efforts on the basis of self-motivation and voluntary work, which translates the citizen's sense of social responsibility towards the common goals and problems of his society, and that every individual believes that he has the freedom to participate in the values approved by society (Othman, 2016, p. 6), and the political participation of women commands attention Great because of the extent to which the subject relates to social, economic, political and cultural factors that are reflected in the political role of Iraqi women on the one hand and the inequality between the sexes in this field, whether at the local or national level, as they face many problems that hinder them from active participation in public life.
In 1980, Iraqi women gained the right to vote, but the gap between them and men did not diminish in the field of voting, and their contributions remained low in the most effective forms of political participation, and the possibilities of their participation in this field are still less, even considering the political change in women's representation after 2003. Where there are many aspects of inequality in political participation and representation at all levels of government (ECWA, 2009, p. 78), and the role of women in political participation increased after the establishment of the quota system (women's quota), which means allocating a specific number of seats for women in Legislative bodies and parliaments, and the implementation of this system requires obligating political parties to allocate seats for the presence of women at all organizational levels. There is a specific number of seats in the House of Representatives that are occupied by women, so that the number of these seats may not be less than the percentage prescribed by law, that is, there is a specific women's quota. It must be occupied by women (Al-Jaber, 2021, p. 1) and the quota system approved the Iraqi State Administration Law for the Transitional Period of 2004, as Paragraph (C) of Article (30) stipulates the following: The National Assembly is elected in accordance with the Elections Law and the Political Parties Law. Elections Achieving an equality rate of no less than a quarter of the members of the National Assembly and achieving a fair representation of the components of Iraq (Central Statistical Organization, Women and Men Report, 2018),
From Table (4), the number of seats with the highest votes in the study area was (43) seats, the highest number was in Babil Governorate, which was (13) seats, and the lowest number was in Al-Muthanna Governorate, which was (5) seats, or the number of women's seats reached (15) seats, the highest seats in the Governorate Babil, with (4) seats, and the lowest number in AlMuthanna governorate, which is (2) seats, or the total number of seats has reached (58), the
highest number of seats in Babil governorate, which is (17) seats, and the lowest number of seats in Al-Muthanna governorate is (7) seats.
Table (4) The number of seats with the highest votes and the number of seats for women in the study area for the year (2020).
Total Seats Seats for Women Seats with the highest votes Provinces
17 4 13 Babil
11 3 8 Karbala
12 3 9 Najaf
11 3 8 Qadisiya
7 2 5 Muthanna
58 15 43 Total
Iraqi Gazette, Iraqi Parliament Elections Law No. (9) of 2020, Issue 4603, pp. 26-31, 2020. Women's participation in elections:
The Iraqi Elections Law has guaranteed women the right to participate in the Iraqi elections process, but the decline in women's participation in the elections process appears in Iraq in general and the governorates of the study area.
From table (5), the percentage of male voters has reached (51%), the highest percentage in Najaf governorate, which is (53%), and the lowest percentage in Al-Muthanna governorate, which is (50%), and that the percentage of female voters has reached (49%), the highest percentage In Al-Muthanna Governorate, which is (50%), and the lowest percentage is in Al-Najaf Governorate, which is (47%).
Table (5) The number of voters and their percentage by sex in the study area for the year 2018
Smoking Provinces
% Total % Female % Male
100 588566 49 291186 51 297380 Babil
100 304208 49 149997 51 154211 Karbala
100 375142 47 177405 53 197737 Najaf
100 358447 48 171923 52 186524 Qadisiya
100 229309 50 114113 50 115196 Muthanna
100 1855672 49 904624 51 951048 Total
- High Electoral Commission, unpublished data, 2018
From table (6), the relative distribution according to the first position regarding women's right to political decisions and parliament elections in the study area. The answer was (yes) with a rate of (87%). The answer was (no) with a rate of (13%). As for the second position, do you support the right of women to participate in the voting process for elections, so the answer was (yes) with a percentage of (90%), and the answer was (no) with a percentage of (10%), as shown in Map (2)
Table (6) Percentage distribution according to position regarding women's participation in political decisions and elections for parliaments and their participation in the voting process for elections in the study area for the year 2018
Do you support women's right to participate Do you support women's right to Questions
in the voting process for elections? participate in political decisions, the //
elections for the provincial councils //
and the House of Representatives? //
Total No Yes Total No Yes ^Provinces
100 5 95 100 16 84 Babil
100 6 94 100 16 84 Karbala
100 7 93 100 12 88 Najaf
100 2 98 100 12 88 Qadisiya
100 10 90 100 13 87 Muthanna
100 10 90 100 13 87 Study Area
Map (2) Percentage distribution according to the attitude towards refusing women's participation in political decisions and voting for elections in the study area for the year 2018 Women's participation in senior management positions:
The higher administrations in the governorates of the study area were represented by women assuming the position of president of a university or dean. The universities of the
governorates of the study area were devoid of women assuming the position of president of a university, while there were deans of colleges. (University of Babylon), in which one woman held the position of dean, and she is the dean of the College of Sciences, and she is a member of the provincial council as well, and (Al-Qasim Green University) and there are (2) deans, and they are the dean of the College of Environmental Sciences and the dean of the College of Sciences. As for Karbala Governorate (Karbala University) It can be noted that there are (2) deans, and they are the dean of the College of Education for Pure Sciences and the dean of the College of Veterinary Medicine, and with regard to the province of Najaf, which was represented by two universities, namely (the University of Kufa), and there were two deans in it: the dean of the College of Nursing and the dean of the College of Languages, and with regard to the Jaber bin Hayyan Medical University And Al-Furat Al-Awsat Technical University (Medical and Engineering) affiliated to the Technical Education Authority, and there is no higher female administration in them. There is only one government office, which is (Al-Muthanna University), and it has one dean for the College of Education for Human Sciences. From table (7) it is noted the widening of the gender gap between males and females in taking over the higher managements of the institutions of higher education, where it is noted that out of (105) colleges in the governorates of the study area, only (10) women preside over the deanships of colleges, and this shows the extent of discrimination according to gender in Taking over the higher managements of women within the governorates of the study area.
Discrimination by gender in the higher administrations of the governorates of the study area is evident in government institutions and directorates in all governorates (Babylon, Karbala, Najaf, Qadisiyah, Muthanna), as the Directorate of Electricity, the Directorate of Water, the Directorate of Post and Communications, the Directorate of Sewage, Roads and Bridges, and the General Directorate of Transport and Communications are devoid of any A woman occupies the position of Director General, and the matter is not limited to infrastructure and foundations only, but extends to other directorates and government institutions such as the Directorate of Agriculture, the Directorate of Municipality, Labor and Social Affairs, the Directorate of Education and the Directorate of Nationality, in addition to the directorates affiliated to the Ministries of Interior and Defense, and the Directorates of Public Retirement except for Muthanna Governorate, where she manages Mrs. (Suzan Azawi Zuwaid) of the Muthanna Retirement Directorate, as well as the health institutions represented by government hospitals and health centers located in the governorates of the study area, despite their abundance, except for the Muthanna governorate, where Mrs. (Wasan Aref) runs Al-Hussein Hospital in it. Discrimination according to gender can be observed in the assumption of senior management in the main laboratories and factories in the governorates of the study area, and the presence of women in senior management in the governorates of the study area is limited to heading subdepartments in most of the institutions, and some of them occupy the position of deputy general manager or member of the board of directors. In accordance with the foregoing, there is clear discrimination according to gender in the study area in women's assumption of administrative positions.
Table (7) The number of female deans in the universities of the study area for the year (2020).
Dean Faculty University Provinces
1 21 Babylon University Babil
2 8 Al-Qasim Green University
2 17 University of Karbala Karbala
2 22 University of Kufa Najaf
- 4 Jabir Ibn Hayyan Medical University
2 18 University of Al-Qadisiyah Qadisiya
1 15 Al-Muthanna University Muthanna
10 105 7 Total
The field study and table (8) show the relative distribution of attitudes towards women joining senior administrative positions in the study area. The answer was (supports), with a rate of (79%), the highest percentage in Al-Muthanna Governorate, amounting to (90%), and the lowest percentage in Al-Najaf Governorate, amounting to (76%). ), while the answer (rejects) for the study area was (21%), the highest percentage in Najaf governorate, which was (24%), and the lowest percentage was in Babil Governorate, which was (17%).
Table (8) Percentage distribution according to attitude towards women joining senior management positions in the study area for the year 2018
Total Reject Agree Provinces
100 17 83 Babil
100 20 80 Karbala
100 24 76 Najaf
100 19 81 Qadisiya
100 10 90 Muthanna
100 21 79 Study Area
Conclusions
1- The study shows that the size of the urban population is more than the size of the rural population, and the largest population size is in Babil Governorate, and the lowest population is in Al-Muthanna Governorate during the years 2018 and 2020.
2- The study shows that the gender ratio reached 101%, the highest percentage in Babil Governorate, which amounted to 102%, and the lowest percentage in Najaf Governorate, which amounted to 100% during the years 2018 and 2020.
3- It appeared that the number of women's seats in the elections reached 15 seats, the largest number of seats in the province of Babil, which is (4), and the least number of seats in the province of Muthanna, which is (2).
4- It was found that the senior positions in the universities of the study area amounted to (10) positions, while it was a very small or non-existent percentage for the rest of the
Recommendations:
1 - Reducing the differences between the urban and rural environment by spreading cultural and social awareness to reduce the phenomenon of gender discrimination.
2- Providing opportunities for females to assume senior administrative positions and taking women an important role in the various ministries sectors.
3- Holding scientific conferences and seminars to disseminate and modify ideas about gender, especially in rural areas, to prevent the emergence of a large gender gap.
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