حقوق المرأة العاملة: دراسة مفاهيمية وتأريخية في ضوء الحماية الجنائية

الباحثة . وديان محمد خلف; أستاذ مساعد دكتورة  . نبراس جبار خلف

doi:10.64184/ajlps.V3.I3.Y2026.p.515-551.416

Authors

Researcher . Wedyan Mohammed Khalaf Al-Mustansiriya University / College of Law Author
Assistant Professor Dr . Nibras Jabbar Khalaf Al-Mustansiriya University / College of Law Author

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.64184/ajlps.V3.I3.Y2026.p.515-551.416

Keywords:

Working Woman, Iraqi Legislation, Islamic Sharia, The Penal Protection, Ancient Legislations.

Abstract

This study aims to define the conceptual framework of the working woman and outline the scope of criminal protection prescribed for her within the labor market. This is achieved by formulating a comprehensive and exclusive definition of the working woman, which hinges on the actual practice of work, its legality, and the availability of free will, thereby ensuring the extension of criminal protection to every working woman. The research also reviews the historical roots of women's rights in ancient Iraqi legislations, focusing on the expansion of her economic participation and evolving social status. Furthermore, it anchors the rights of working women in Islamic Sharia, highlighting how Islam initiated a radical transformation that completely eradicated Jahiliya practices, affirmed women's human dignity, and recognized her independent financial liability and right to earn a livelihood. This is supported by jurisprudential and prophetic examples, such as the public pledge (Bay'ah) and active social participation. Finally, the study sheds light on the violations women faces across various work environments in the public, private, and informal sectors, while outlining the punitive system specific to each sector.

References

List of Sources and References

The Holy Qur'an

Prophetic Sunnah

First: Dictionaries

1. Badawi, Ahmad Zaki, A Dictionary of Social Science Terms, Librairie du Liban, Beirut, 1978.

Second: books

1.Al-Attar, Ahmed Hashem Ibrahim, Women's Rights in Ancient Iraqi Legislations, Dar Al-Shu'oon Al-Thaqafiya Al-Amma (Directorate of Cultural Affairs), 1st ed., 2010.

2.Aghayev, Ahmed, Women's Rights in Islam, Hindawi Foundation for Education and Culture, Cairo, 2013.

3. Al-Amin, Mahmoud (2007), The Code of Hammurabi, 1st Edition, Dar Al-Waraq for Publishing Ltd., London.

4.Radhi, Mazen Lailu, Administrative Law, 3rd ed., Dar Al-Kutub Al-Qanuniya, Baghdad. (d.s)

5.Rashid, Saba Noaman, The Legal Guide for Protecting the Rights of Working Women, Without edition (w.ed), Maktabat Noor Al-Ain for Legal Books and Lectures, 2020.

6.Nassif, Fatima Omar, Women's Rights and Duties in the Light of the Qur'an and Sunnah, 3rd ed., Maktabat Dar Jeddah for Publishing, 1997, Saudi Arabia.

Third: Research Papers and Journals

1. Al-Shehri, Hanan Sha'shou' Mohammad, "Challenges Facing Working Women in the Private Sector (A Field Study)", Jeel Journal of Humanities and Social Sciences, Lebanon, 2019.

2. Al-Rayes, Ibrahim bin Hammad, "The Right to Work for Women in Islam", Journal of Islamic Scientific Research, Saudi Arabia, 2025.

3. Boufaghes, Saida, "Women’s Work Between the Objectives of Sharia and Jurisprudence of Application (Feqh Al-Tanzil)", Journal of Emir Abdelkader University for Islamic Sciences, Algeria, 2023.

4. Abdul-Karim, Hiba Abdul-Muhsin, "Women and the Dilemma of Working in the Private Sector", Journal of Social Studies, National Center for Social Studies and Research, Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs, Baghdad, 2021.

5. Malika, Rawan, "Feminist Work in the Informal Sector: A Strategic Choice and Rational Perception", Journal of Human Resources Management and Development, Algeria, 2024.

Fourth: Theses and Dissertations

1. Sabiha, Al-Telli, "The Social Origin of Working Women in Education and Its Relation to Their Identity", Master's Thesis, Kasdi Merbah University (Ouargla), Algeria, 2020.

2. Al-Duaij, Badr bin Abdul-Rahman Ali, "Protection of Working Women's Rights in the Saudi Labor System: A Foundational Study", Master's Thesis, Naif Arab University for Security Sciences, College of Criminal Justice, Riyadh, 2014.

3. Farah, Asma Ahmed Osman, "The Impact of Women's Work in the Formal Sector on the Socialization of Children", Research submitted for a Master's degree, Neelain University, 2017, Sudan.

4. Al-Tuwaijri, Heila bint Ibrahim, "Women's Work in Islamic Jurisprudence", PhD Dissertation, Imam Mohammad Ibn Saud Islamic University, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, 2009.

5. Soria, Doubi Bounoua, "Women's Work in the Informal Sector", Master's Thesis, Abdelhamid Ibn Badis University - Mostaganem, Algeria, 2019.

Fifth: Legislations

A. International Conventions

1. Forced Labour Convention, No. 29 of 1930.

B. National Laws

1. Iraqi Civil Code No. 40 of 1951, as amended.

2. Iraqi Labor Law No. 151 of 1970 (Repealed).

3. Iraqi Labor Law No. 71 of 1987 (Repealed).

4. Iraqi Commercial Code No. 30 of 1984, as amended.

5. Effective Iraqi Labor Law No. 31 of 2015.

C. Comparative Laws

6. Effective Egyptian Labor Law No. 14 of 2025.

sixth: Websites

1. Al-Bayan Center for Planning and Studies, "Harassment in the Iraqi Work Environment", a study published on the center's official website, available at: [https://www.bayancenter.org](https://www.bayancenter.org), (Accessed: May 5, 2026).

2. "What is the Difference Between the Public and Private Sectors?", an article published on the website: [https://nasoft.com.eg/](https://nasoft.com.eg/), (Accessed: February 2, 2026).

3. "Public and Private Sector", a research published on the website: [https://www.scribd.com/](https://www.scribd.com/), (Accessed: February 3, 2026).

Seventh: Foreign Sources

1. National Institute of Statistics and Economic Studies (INSEE), "Employment (according to the International Labour Organization (ILO) definition)", Definitions, methods and quality, Last update: June 26, 2023, available at: [https://www.insee.fr/en/metadonnees/definition/c1451](https://www.insee.fr/en/metadonnees/definition/c1451), (Accessed: June 5, 2026).

2. Cour de cassation, chambre sociale, arrêt du 13 novembre 1996, Société Générale.

3. International Labour Organization (ILO), Recommendation No. 204 (2015), para. 2.

4. International Labour Organization (ILO), Women and Men in the Informal Economy: A Statistical Picture, 3rd ed. (Geneva: ILO, 2018), pp. 221-220.