Nuxsha Nasih Becomes Iraq’s First Woman to Hold Governorship

Photo Credit: Nuksha Nasih Facebook.

Nuxsha Nasih is the first woman in Iraqi history to take office as a governor. This means that she has the highest authority in terms of administration and security in Halabja province.  Following the parliamentary session on April 14, 2024, when Iraq’s parliament convened as part of its regular schedule. Out of the members, 187 were present and voted by majority to designate Halabja as Iraq’s 19th province. Nukhsha Nasih was appointed as the acting governor until provincial council elections take place in the Kurdistan Region.

Nuxsha Nasih (born 1978) is a Kurdish lawyer, politician, and currently the governor of Halabja. She graduated from the law department and served as the district director of Biara from 2008 to 2015. On March 27, 2016, she became Halabja’s district administrator. She is a member of the central council of the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan. After Adila Khanum, she is the second woman in Halabja’s history to hold a senior position. According to Iraqi law, no government employee can officially hold two positions. For now, she is only serving as the governor of Halabja.

Before the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) Council of Ministers officially recognized Halabja as a province in 2014, the KRG recognized Nuxsha Nasih as the formal governor of Halabja province since the end of 2024, but the decision required a vote in the Iraqi parliament to officially recognize the city as a province at the federal level.

After the official session of the Iraqi parliament on November 14, Nuxsha Nasih was officially appointed as the first woman governor of Halabja. She appeared in front of the monument of the Halabja martyrs in Halabja with her colleagues.

Nuxsha Nasih was smiling and looked happy when she spoke. She thanked the political parties, the Prime Minister, and the President of the Kurdistan Region for their support and stressed that she will do her best to serve Halabja. “I will do my best to serve the city and its citizens,” she said.

The President of the Iraqi Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG), Nechirvan Barzani, who is currently in France, made a telephone call to Nuxsha Nasih to congratulate her on her appointment.

Two days ago, several people from embassies and different parties visited Nuxsha to congratulate her. Then she posted on her X (Twitter) account saying, “Please do not visit me for congratulations—because I’m busy with administrative work.”

This new change comes at a time when women in Kurdistan and Iraq are still facing many challenges in politics and social life. They are attacked on the pretext of honor. According to the Kurdistan Human Rights Network organization, in 2024 alone, 23 women were killed on the grounds of honor in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq.

Keval Kamal, a 24-year-old youth from the Tawella district of Halabja province, believes the proportion of women in politics and management is low. He believes that women have only participated as symbols of women in the political and administrative spheres. “As a man, I have no problem with a woman being my governor. I am even proud of her,” he said.

Soma Khalid, a women’s activist who writes about women’s issues, said it is a good development that a woman has become the governor of Halabja. “I hope it will become a model for other Iraqi cities,” she said.