Since early October thousands of Iraqis, men and women, have been congregating at Tahrir Square, the hub of mass anti government protests in the heart of Baghdad. A small group of mainly male protesters have stationed themselves at the forefront of the battle, standing at the frontline of the battle zone on Rasheed Street. This is an area where dozens of protesters have been killed or wounded since the uprising began. Within this frontline group stands a woman named Araji.
Araji, an Iraqi journalist and blogger, is fighting alongside the men at the most dangerous parts that one could protest. She stated “The frontline is where I feel happiest. It’s where I belong… If I die here, I’ll have sacrificed my life for a cause, for my country”. Araji has taken on the full list of responsibilities that other protesters have been performing, everything from guarding the concrete barriers against security forces to maintaining a consistent food/water supply for other protesters.
Araji told Al Jazeera “There’s no difference between a man and woman on the frontline. We’re both there to support, motivate and protect each other from the advance of the security forces”. It’s strong women like this who are helping to break down gender stereotypes across the world. Women like Araji empower every single one of us to fight for what we believe in, and not like societal norms push us back down.
With the violence rising to a daily level in Iraq, seeing over 430 protesting deaths in total since uprisings began, it’s a more dangerous time than ever to continue fighting. Araji stated that “When a woman speaks, her words are heard”, proving that women bring different aspects to the table for all tasks, not just protests. If the people of Iraq want to successfully win the battle, they need to help empower the women already striving for equality and uplift those who are on the fringes of the battle.
Source: https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2019/12/women-frontline-iraq-uprising-191205085107123.html