Qubad Talabani: The Stronger the PUK, the More Secure the Position and Rights of Women

Qubad Talabani's Media

PUK Politburo Member Qubad Talabani's meeting with Erbil women.

Qubad Talabani, member of the Political Bureau of the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan(PUK), reaffirmed the  PUK's unwavering commitment to defending women’s rights, highlighting the party’s historic role in advancing women representation in Iraq’s political system.

In a statement posted on his Facebook page on Saturday, Talabani said that he met the comrades of the PUK's women sector in Erbil and stressed that the PUK is Iraq’s largest and strongest party actively working to protect and promote the rights of women. 

“Campaign and slogans aside, the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) is Iraq’s largest and strongest party actively defending women’s rights,” he said. “Throughout the drafting of the Iraqi constitution and during the passage of key parliamentary legislation, the PUK has played a central role in consolidating and advancing the rights of women. Notably, the party insisted, more than everyone else, on securing the 25% quota for women’s representation in the Iraqi constitution.” 

Talabani emphasised that the strength of the PUK directly translates into greater security and protection for women’s rights across Kurdistan and Iraq. He urged participants to dedicate their efforts to advancing the status of women, safeguarding their rights, and mobilising broad support for the PUK in the upcoming elections.

“The stronger the PUK, the more secure the position and rights of women across Kurdistan and Iraq will be,” Talabani said. 

Qubad Talabani also met with the PUK officials of the fifth constituency in Erbil. 

Talabani said in a separate post on his Facebook page after the meeting: “The post-2003 experience has clearly demonstrated that the stronger the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) has been in Baghdad, the better the rights and entitlements of the Kurdish people have been safeguarded, and the more their livelihoods have improved. The PUK has consistently regarded itself as the genuine representative of the power and will of the Kurdish people in Baghdad.” 

He added: “In my meeting with comrades from the fifth constituency in Erbil, I emphasised that it is the responsibility of every PUK member to convey the party’s message to the public—explaining why it is essential to vote for the PUK and why the PUK, more than any other party, embodies the power of the Kurdish people in Baghdad.” 

The PUK is contesting the 2025 Iraqi parliamentary elections, scheduled for 11 November, across several governorates, presenting its candidates on an independent list numbered 222 in Erbil, Sulaymaniyah (including Halabja), Duhok, Kirkuk, and Diyala. In Nineveh Governorate, the PUK is running as part of the "Nineveh People’s Union Coalition" with list number 281, while in Saladin it is fielding one candidate within the "National Masses Coalition" with list number 240.

Overall, the PUK is entering the elections with 156 candidates: 36 in Sulaymaniyah, 30 in Erbil, 5 in Duhok, 24 in Kirkuk, 28 in Diyala, 31 in Nineveh within the Nineveh People’s Union coalition, and one candidate each in Saladin and Baghdad.



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