Poll indicates low participation in the upcoming elections and a decline in the role of women

[size=52]Poll indicates low participation in the upcoming elections and a decline in the role of women[/size]

[size=45]Baghdad / Arwa Al-Amiri[/size]
[size=45]Like millions of Iraqis, Karima is skeptical about the integrity of the electoral process, the voting mechanism and the calculating of votes, as well as the feasibility of elections in light of what the media has reported about the hegemony of political money and weapons and the spread of corruption as a result of the weakness of the state. Together, these factors prevented 10 million Iraqis from updating their electoral cards to participate in the elections scheduled for next November.[/size]
[size=45]The low participation in the previous elections, which amounted to about 44%, reflects the expected reluctance in the upcoming elections, according to researchers, especially with the decline in Iraqis’ interest in politics in recent years as a result of their lack of confidence in political institutions and their leaders, after they had shown great interest following the change of the Baath Party regime in April 2003. .[/size]
[size=45]The results of an expanded survey conducted by the Arab Barometer in 2019 showed that the majority of Iraqis do not care about politics, as one person in four expresses an interest in tracking political matters and researching their potential repercussions.[/size]
[size=45]Dr. Hadeel Qazzaz, an expert in the field of gender, says that the participation rates in the elections in the Arab world were high in the past, "but they have declined in the current period due to the repression and pressures that voters, both men and women, have been subjected to to impose the will of specific parties."[/size]
[size=45]She added, "This repression affected political life. There was a refusal and a security spread to confront any attempts to organize peaceful protests in which citizens express their issues or even to urge to participate in the elections and cast their votes for whomever they want." Qazzaz believes that militarization and the imposition of a security grip weaken the political role of women and reduce their participation rates.[/size]
[size=45]According to the Arab Barometer survey, the interest that Iraqis attach to politics has declined in the past ten years. While five out of ten people were interested in politics in 2011, the interest decreased to four people in 2013, down to about two people interested in politics only for every ten in year 2019.[/size]
[size=45]Indicators of interest in politics show a discrepancy among the peoples of the Arab countries. The percentage of those interested in politics has reached about three out of every ten people in Iraq in recent years.[/size]
[size=45]According to the survey data, age is one of the influences that can direct one age group without another to take an interest in a particular field. Iraqis are interested in politics as they age, and this increase occurs gradually. Three out of ten young people are interested in politics compared to seven out of ten among the elderly. Also, with age, men are more inclined to be interested in politics than women.[/size]
[size=45]The educational level is also an influential factor in the orientation of the Iraqi individual towards interest in politics. As we rise in the educational level, the interest in politics gradually increases, and the difference is clear in the percentage of interest between the lowest and highest educational level. For every four illiterate Iraqis interested in politics, there are seven who hold diplomas Bachelors are interested in the same field.[/size]
[size=45]Social researcher Pierre Hajji explains that young people in their prime do not have this awareness of the impact of politics and are interested in their hobbies and opportunities for leisure and work. He adds: "And because they often do not have the opportunity to join parties or run in elections, they show limited interest, but with age they may discover that everything in their surroundings is linked to politics, even job opportunities and the realization of their personal aspirations, so they care more." According to the Arab Barometer survey, men tend to be more interested in politics than women. For every three men interested in politics in Iraq, there are two interested women.[/size]
[size=45]Dr. Hadeel Qazzaz believes that the difference in the ratio between men and women here “is not often related to their personal interest, but rather to the space or space that is available for each group, as men get more space to discuss the political situation, whether on the street, means of transportation, or in cafes as in workplaces, while Women’s space is confined inside homes and in closed salons.” Heba, 25, said as she lowered the news anchor's voice: "My husband does not allow that (...) I watched the news continuously and was well informed about the political situation, but my husband kept saying that women should not be interested in politics, and in the last elections he said he would not I have to go vote... that's why I don't care anymore.” Pierre Hajji asserts, “What (Heba) is facing is a common social situation that is considered absenteeism for women, as they often do not get a good space to discuss political events, which negatively affects their choices and interests, and thus their presence and political participation.”[/size]
[size=45]Out of every ten Iraqis, there are seven who believe that men are better to lead politics than women, and at the same time they support women as prime minister. As the data issued by the Arab Barometer reflects, both men and women accept the idea of ​​a woman assuming the position of president or prime minister. For every seven men who agree to this, there are seven women who also agree.[/size]
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