Baghdad (IraqiNews.com) – The United Nations Development Program (UNDP) and the United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and Women Empowerment (UN Women) in Iraq signed on Monday a one million USD partnership agreement in Baghdad to support women’s political participation and representation in Iraq, according to a press statement issued by the United Nations Assistance Mission for Iraq (UNAMI).

In-depth: More than 95 female candidates were elected in Iraq's election according to preliminary results, exceeding the 83-seat quota. But some say political parties are manipulating the system for electoral gain, rather than to empower women.

“Women set a historic record in the election,” Iraqi officials announced in a statement after the 10 October parliamentary vote.

BAGHDAD, Sept 16 (Reuters) - A powerful mix of insecurity and traditional prejudice against more liberal female politicians put Awatef Rasheed off running for parliament when she returned to Iraq in 2014 after years abroad.

Seven years later, with Iraq less unstable, Rasheed has decided to contest a Oct. 10 election for the assembly, even if abuse and intimidation of women would-be lawmakers persist.

Amid attempts to transform the political system, feminists are looking for 50% representation in any new government.

Hundreds of women and girls this week took to the streets of Najaf, a Shi’ite holy city in southern Iraq, asserting their right to participate in anti-government protests and demand political reforms.

Nearly two years after the defeat of the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS), communities are working to rebuild, and local governments are challenged to respond to citizens’ needs in order to win their trust. Yet, decision-makers often overlook the perspectives of Iraqi women, who have disproportionately suffered from conflict and who, as caretakers in their households, have a deep understanding of their families’ and communities’ needs.

Deputy Special Representative of the UN Secretary General to Iraq, Alice Walpole, on Sunday called for an increase of women’s role in politics and include them in the decision-making process in Iraq and elsewhere.

Her comments were delivered during a regional forum aimed at advancing women’s rights in Iraq and across the Middle Eastern region, with participants from Iraq, Algeria, Bahrain, Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, Morocco, Palestine, Tunisia, and Yemen.