Women in politics

Mothers Against Drunk Driving in the United States (MADD) and the Mothers of the Plaza de Mayo in Argentina each formed out of a loss of its children and organized under the identity of the mother in order gain access to the political arena. Transformed into political movements, both groups of mothers were able to effectively bring about changes in public policy, and therefore, society as a whole. Additionally, they were able to transcend traditional cultural norms, by redefining the role and identity of the mother. By exploiting opportunities that propelled them into positions of power, the women fundamentally changed the concept of power itself, to include components of the traditionally female realm, which has historically been absent from the way in which power has been perceived.

The effects that Women's political participation in the Middle East has on political parties and regimes have been investigated by the political science community. However, how women's political participation and changing societal roles affect women's lives has not received adequate attention. This is a comparative historical analysis that investigates how women's societal roles and political participation in Iraq changed from 1968 to the present. It examines how factors such as social conservatism, party ideology, war, sanctions, religion, and international pressure during different periods in Iraq's modern history influenced changes in Iraqi women's roles and participation over time. These changes in societal roles and political participation are used to analyze the restrictions and expansions in Iraqi women's civil rights in areas such as family, work and mobility, political and cultural expression, health and sexual control, and education.

This thesis demonstrates how some women used the power of their ancestry and family name to run for political office, to become a positive role model for other women, and also to help pass laws favorable to the improvement of gender equality. Edna Pearce Lockett was unique, but also a reflection of the values of her community. Women who ran for office tended to have strong male figures in their lives that treated them as equals. They often were savvy enough to use the novelty of their gender to encourage positive press. Far from trying to be men, they accentuated their femininity through press accounts detailing their fashion sense, their dedication to feminine pursuits, and their ability to be ladies as well as serve their constituency. Edna Pearce Lockett's life also illustrates what society was like in central Florida during the first half of the 20th century for men and women living on and around the cattle industry.