Naziha Jawdat al-Dulaimi (1923-2007), an Iraqi leftist activist in women’s rights, a leader in the Iraqi women movement and the first Iraqi minister, as well as the first woman that hold a ministerial position in the Middle East, She contributed in forming the Personal Status Law in the Republic of Iraq in 1959, which was considered the most advanced law in the Middle East through giving women their rights.

“Naziha Al-Dulaimi” was born in Baghdad in 1923 and entered the College of Medicine in 1941. She held the position of Minister of Municipalities in the government of “Abdul Karim Qassem”. Then the position of minister at the end of the 50s, when she accepted the invitation of Prime Minister “Abdul Karim Qassem”.

After the Bathest coup of February 8, 1963, the Revolutionary Court issued a death sentence for her on April 4, 1964, then the sentence was turned to hard labor, then later she was pardoned and allowed to return to Iraq.

She had a great role in forming the Iraqi Personal Status Law in 1959, she also had a role in establishing “Al-Thawra city” east of Baghdad, which is currently called “Sadr City.” She gave lands for the citizen in “Al-Shu’la city” when she was Minister of Municipalities. In addition, she was an activist in women’s rights in Iraq.

Through her work, she became aware with a lot of society’s suffering, especially women hard situation and their social and health problems, she was eager to find solutions to women’s problems under the name of customs and traditions.

During World War2 , she was active in turning the Association for fighting Fascism and Nazism into the “Iraqi Women’s League” in 1945 with Mrs. “Afifa Raouf”, “Dr. Rafd Khaduri”, “Afifa Ismail al-Bustani”, “Amina al-Rahhal”,” Saadia al-Rahal”, “Victoria Naaman”,” Amal al-Zahawi” and “Sanaa Amin Zaki”, who had a positive national, cultural and social awareness.

History records proudly her contribution in many honorable positions among working and poor women in establishing literacy centers through a campaign that included 20 centers in primary schools, publishing a magazine called “Women’s Liberation” that included many topics of the situation of women calling for their rights and freedom.

She contributed in writing about women in the “Women’s Liberation” magazine and other newspapers at that time. She represented Iraqi women in many international conferences, including: the Pakistan Conference on March 25, 1952, and the Vienna Conference from December 12-20, 1952.

she participated in addition to the 2 previous conferences in the Copenhagen Women’s Conference in 1953, due to her fame in the medicine field among working and poor women in order to change their difficult life, she gave a speech, in which she explained the miserable situation of Iraqi women in general, especially the economic side and their long work hours between 12-16 hours Daily, which were against the Labor Law, it won the approval and solidarity of the attendees. A statement was issued saying: “The Women’s Conference calls  for all women of all nationalities and different  international organizations to double their work to pressure their governments to release our sisters and brothers who are accused for defensing peace and independence of their people!.”

She left Iraq in the 70s of the 20^th century, and died in Germany after struggling with illness in 2007 at the age of 84 years. She was buried in Baghdad in the cemetery of “Sheikh Marouf al-Karkhi” in Iraq, according to her will to be buried in Iraq.

In 2009, the Iraqi Council of Ministers ordered to build a statue of “Naziha al-Dulaimi”, to be considered the first feminist figure that have a statue in Iraq- Baghdad.

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