Vestiges of glory: Iraq's universities and female students in the midst of tyranny, sanctions and war.

Abstract

This historical dissertation examines the intersectionality of sanctions, war and autocratic rule as it manifested itself on Iraqi university campuses and, more specifically, the impact on female students. While much has been written on Iraq, we have yet to understand the academic, personal and professional toll it took on university students between the onset of the Saddam regime in 1979 and 2005, three years after the Allied Invasion. This is a unique opportunity to study a higher education system that once held an esteemed regional reputation and is now greatly eroded. Our ability to generate historical research on this population enhances our knowledge of the role political and economic events play on university campuses. The historical method was employed in this dissertation and expanded upon by Iraqi women's narratives. Primary and contextual sources were collected, coded and reconstructed thematically and chronologically. Findings included increasing obstacles and restrictions placed on academic freedom and women's higher education opportunities as the regime increased its power. Iraqi women reported that the decade of sanctions was the most damaging to their college learning but that current civil unrest and rising Islamist factions are greatly hindering their ability to achieve academic goals. The intersectionality of three wars (First Gulf, Iran-Iraq and Second Gulf Wars), shifting Saddamist law concerning women's rights, and international sanctions diminished women's learning, social and professional engagements at Iraqi universities. Efforts to rehabilitate Iraqi higher education must include international partnerships, expatriate alumni participation, gender integration and authentic student advocacy opportunities.