Women Set to Take More Power Locally - January 21, 2009 By Zaineb Naji Iraqi Crisis Report January 20, 2009 "A law that sets aside about 25 per cent of seats for women in [Iraq's] provincial councils is raising hopes of a new era where women hold political power on a local level. "The quota for provincial councils, which will be elected on January 31[, 2009], is the first in Iraq that guarantees women representation in local governments. The outgoing councils, elected in 2005, were not required to designate seats for female candidates. [ ... ] "According to the Independent High Electoral Commission of Iraq, all political parties seeking office have complied with the requirement that one out of every four of their candidates be female. [ ... ] "[Hardline, socially conservative m]ilitias have ... stopped women in Basra from working or holding any public positions, according to Suhaila Oufi, a female candidate in the province. ... [A]t least 40 women in Basra were killed and tortured in 2007 for not wearing the veil." To read the full article, click on the Title Line, above. This article originally appeared in Iraqi Crisis Report , produced by the Institute for War and Peace Reporting, www.iwpr.net.