Qualitative public opinion research on political distrust and frustration following the Covid-19 pandemic in Iraq (2021)
The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated many existing economic, social, and political issues in Iraq, such as challenges to the infrastructure and service provision, and threatened the livelihoods of millions of people. Moreover, the pandemic also shed light on many problematic policies and actions by the Iraqi government and had profound repercussions such as worsening educational and mental health challenges within the country. The pandemic also led to an increase in family issues and domestic violence, had a disproportionate impact on women, and led to increased skepticism regarding the government’s capabilities and its policies.
This report examined the challenges and consequences of the Covid-19 pandemic on Iraqi society, along with the overall state of politics in the country and women’s political participation and engagement. Moreover, the study was also carried out to reassess citizen’s needs and local perspectives on governance, with a special focus on the gender dimension to explore if and how the pandemic had exacerbated women’s suffering and challenges and identify possible ways to mitigate those effects. This was also done with the objective of ensuring that Women’s Advisory Boards, where women were trained in skills to open the door to participation in local governance, could give appropriate assistance.
