Introduction
The Kurdistan region of Iraq is also known as the Kurdistan Regional Government
(KRG) and it’s located on the Northern part of Iraq bordering Syria in the western side while
Turkey and Iran are on the Northern and Eastern Parts respectively. The four governorates that
make up the KRG are Erbil, Sulaymaniyah, Duhok and Halabja and its economy largely depends
on oil and agriculture that is based on its rich sources of clean water from several lakes that flows
through the mountainous country.
Literature Review
The effect of gender in KRG’s economy is noticeable given the huge imbalance between
the ratio of women and men in the country. The imbalance stems from historical civil wars
between the Kurds and the Iraqi Government that was against the secession KRG from Iraq.
The new fight against the ISIS by the coalition forces in Northern Iraq has also added a new twist
on the complicated KRG economy as women have now taken over their fallen husband’s
weapons to reinforce the Kurdish Peshmerga army that is also fighting against the infiltration of
ISIS in Kurdistan region (Associated Press, 2015).
Problem Statement
The Gender and Economic Effects in Kurdistan in View of Isis Attack has had a negative
impact on the living standards of the Kurds who enjoyed a relatively better life than the rest of
Iraq before the outbreak of the Syrian war against the ISIS.
Research Methodology
This research intends to interview over 1000 Kurds in KRG to find out their current
economic status compared to the earlier years before the war against ISIS broke out. The
research would also include a general census on the gender of the bread winners in households
Gender and Economic Effects in Kurdistan in View of Isis Attack 2
that are located near the areas that have been affected by the war on ISIS. The data would be
processed and analyzed using modern scientific methods to arrive at logical conclusions. The
other research resources would be from World Bank Reports, International Press and other
research work that has been done from the Ministry of Social Services in KRG.
Conclusion
The growing number of foreign refugees fleeing the regions where the war against ISIS has been
intensified and other internally displaced persons from the KRG region has increased economic
and social strains on the KRG economy (World Bank, 2015). The deteriorated standards of
health and education in the affected regions have mostly affected women and children who are
mostly left behind when civil wars and internal conflicts erupts.
Gender and Economic Effects in Kurdistan in View of Isis Attack 3
References
Associated Press (2015, October 26) Women Fight on Front Lines of Battle against ISIS in
Syria, Iraq,
World Bank (2015) The Kurdistan Region of Iraq, Assessing the Economic and Social Impact of
the Syrian Conflict and ISIS
