As Part of the Ongoing “Future Voters” Campaign, Al-Furat Al-Awsat Technical University Organizes Workshop “She Deserves Your Vote” to Politically Empower Female Students
As part of the ongoing “Future Voters” campaign, and with direct support from the presidency of Al-Furat Al-Awsat Technical University, the Women’s Affairs Division organized today a specialized workshop titled “She Deserves Your Vote”. This is the second program aimed at enhancing political awareness among female students and encouraging them to support qualified women in general elections.
The workshop was facilitated by Ikhlas Razzak Naham, Head of the Women’s Affairs Division at the university, and focused on types of governance and political systems.
During the workshop, Zahraa Hassan Mahdi, a civil society and women’s rights activist, provided a simplified explanation of different forms of government, highlighting their impact on citizen representation—especially women—in decision-making positions, and emphasized the importance of parliament and women’s voices within it.
Additionally, Ahmed Karim Kazem, a civil society activist, presented data and statistics on Iraqi women’s participation in the political process, their representation in successive parliaments, and the main challenges faced by female candidates and participants in parliamentary life.
The workshop also included a simulation of a women’s electoral program. The interactive session was conducted by international trainer Aqeel Razzak Abbas, during which the students performed a practical exercise simulating elections. They assumed the roles of “candidates” and designed virtual electoral programs relevant to their realities, then presented and discussed them with their peers—an experience that deepened their understanding of how to evaluate a candidate effectively.
Ahmed Radhi, representative of the Independent High Electoral Commission – Najaf Office, also participated in the workshop, providing insights on the commission’s role in supporting women’s representation and promoting electoral awareness among university youth.
Participants actively engaged in the workshop and learned that an electoral program is more important than a candidate’s image or name, gaining a framework for evaluating candidates and a deeper, more informed perspective on elections.
Workshop recommendations included:
Evaluating candidates based on their programs rather than appearance or affiliation.
Encouraging women to vote for competent and knowledgeable female candidates, not merely because they are women.
Emphasizing that the political system and type of governance determine women’s representation, necessitating deeper constitutional awareness.
Expanding such workshops across all colleges and disciplines.
Positive outcomes of the workshop:
A noticeable increase in students’ awareness of the relationship between the political system and women’s reality in parliament.
Development of critical thinking skills regarding the evaluation of electoral campaigns.
Several students expressed readiness to participate in future electoral simulation initiatives.
“Our goal is not only to increase the number of women in parliament but to achieve a higher-quality participation that is more informed and impactful. Empowering qualified women is the key to a parliament that truly represents all of us.”
Nihad Al-Rubaie / Director of Media and Government Communication Department, Al-Furat Al-Awsat Technical University
