On Sunday, March 7, 2010, Iraq held its second national parliamentary election since the U.S.-led invasion in 2003. The next day, the Washington Post reported: "Election officals have said that 62 percent of about 19 million eligible voters cast ballots in Sunday's parliamentary election, a turnout slightly lower than the previous parliamentary election in 2005. Only 53 percent of eligible voters turned out in Baghdad, perhaps because of a series of explosions that ripped through the capital early Sunday. That is lower than the last full parliamentary election in December 2005, in which roughly 76 percent of eligible voters turned out. Officials attributed the drop to a combination of voter intimidation, more stringent ID requirements at the polls and a drop in voter excitement.

Dr. Laila Nicolas Rahbani provides an in-depth report and analysis on the state of Arab women in the media in the Middle East and North Africa.

Last week, Freedom House hosted an event featuring women activists from Egypt, Jordan and Iraq who spoke on the status of women’s rights and advancement in the region.