Iraq: Women Win Leadership of New Farmers Union
In May 2024, agricultural workers in Iraq’s Hawija district formed the Farmers’ Union under the Federation of Workers Councils and Unions in Iraq (FWCUI). For the first time, women were elected to key leadership positions, including president and vice president. The union’s formation was followed by training where workers, especially women, learned about their rights and the power of union organizing. Facing wage exploitation, unsafe working conditions, gender-based violence, and a lack of social protections, many women saw unionization as a pathway towards fair treatment. Climate change has further worsened working conditions, with extreme heat and desertification threatening agricultural livelihoods, making unionization even more important. Hawija, once a prosperous agricultural hub, suffered immense damage during the ISIS occupation but many residents have since returned to farming to rebuild their lives after the land was reclaimed.
