Sabean-Mandaean Women’s Experiences: The Intersectional Impact of Religious and Ideological Conflict in Iraqi Society

Abstract

This CREID Policy Briefing provides recommendations to address the marginalisation, discrimination and exclusion faced by Sabean-Mandaean women in Iraq. Within the Sabean-Mandaean community, women are traditionally seen to have great value. Inheritance is split equally between women and men, and children have a religious name as well as a lay name that traces the lineage of their mother. However, Sabean-Mandaean women in Iraq today face a range of inequalities and discrimination based on the intersection of their religious identity and gender. The US occupation of Iraq in 2003, the following sectarian wars, and the 2014 ISIS invasion had a profound impact on the lives of all Sabean-Mandaean people in Iraq. As a religious minority, Sabean-Mandaeans continue to find themselves subject to oppression, discrimination and exile.