33 Countries of Origin’ Profiles

IRAQ 5 Traditional social relationships, in which the family, the extended family, and the tribe are the prime focus, have remained fundamentally important in rural areas but are under pressure in the towns. Alcoholic beverages and Western-style entertainment have become freely available, a circumstance much deplored by devout Muslims. Although the number of Muslims in Iraq embracing a fundamentalist interpretation of Islam has grown — as it has elsewhere in the Middle East — Islamic extremism has not presented a major social or political problem, given the nature of the former regime. The role of women has been changing, with a higher proportion participating in the labour force despite encouragement from the government to stay at home and raise large families. Although Iraqis generally are a religious and conservative people, there are strong secular tendencies in the country. This is reflected in the dress, which, while conservative by Western standards (short or revealing clothes for men or women are considered inappropriate), is quite relaxed by the standards of the region, particularly compared with neighbouring Saudi Arabia and the Persian Gulf states. Men will frequently wear Western-style suits or, in more casual surroundings, the long shirt-like thawb . The traditional chador and veil, the hijab , is common among conservative women — especially those from rural areas — but Western attire are common 11 . GENDER RELATIONS: During the Iran-Iraq War, with so many men fighting in the military, women were required to study and to work in positions normally filled by men. Many women joined the labour force as teachers, physicians, dentists, factory workers, and civil servants, with the majority performing unskilled labour. Female professionals, such as doctors, are normally paediatricians or obstetricians, so that they work with only women or children. Those drafted into the workforce during the Iran-Iraq War were also made to comply with about a one-third deduction from their salary to go toward the war effort 12 . The General Federation for Iraqi Women (GFIW) is a government organisation for women, to officially organise women, promote literacy and higher education, and 1 1 https://www.britannica.com/place/Iraq/Government-and-society#toc22956 1 2 http://www.genderindex.org/country/iraq/