Good Governance Indicators for Women Working in the Organized Private Sector in Baghdad Governorate for the Year 2024

Abstract

Good governance indicators are among the most prominent challenges facing societies, particularly working-class communities. Based on this, the research focused on the most prominent challenges facing women working in the organized private sector in Baghdad Governorate, including the level of legal awareness of their rights and their assessment of their work environment. This awareness is a direct indicator of the level of transparency, justice, and equal opportunities in the work environment, all of which are at the core of good governance indicators. This topic is receiving increasing attention due to the growing role of women in the economy and the need for a work environment that provides legal and professional security, as emphasized by international organizations, civil society organizations, human rights organizations, and others.

The research problem was represented by a significant geographical disparity in the level of knowledge of women working in the organized private sector regarding the laws that guarantee their rights, such as protection from harassment, health care, flexible work, social security, maternity protection, etc. It is believed that this disparity reflects a weakness in the application of good governance principles in some areas of Baghdad Governorate, particularly with regard to transparency, accountability, and organizational quality. This disparity is reflected in the discrepancy between good governance and its impact on spatial development in the private sector. To achieve the research objectives, several approaches were adopted, most notably quantitative (descriptive) analysis and the inductive approach, in addition to a field study consisting of a questionnaire. Field data were analyzed using geographical and statistical analysis tools. The results revealed a clear spatial disparity between districts in the level of awareness of women working in the regulated private sector of their legal rights. The social security index ranked first, with a percentage of (25.0%) of the governorate's total, followed by fair work (22.5%), and maternity protection (19.5%). The anti-harassment index ranked second, with varying percentages (10.0%), followed by flexible work (8.5%). The lowest percentages were found in the health care (6.8%) and discrimination (7.8%) indicators. The results were strengthened using factor analysis using SPSS to reveal the relationships between good governance indicators, which helped explain the spatial variation across districts. This disparity indicates the weak application of good governance principles in some districts, particularly in peripheral areas. This requires institutional interventions to strengthen the women's work environment and enhance legal empowerment. The study also demonstrated that the weakness of these indicators leads to an unfair work environment for women and reduces their economic participation. The study recommends the need to enhance women's legal awareness through government and community awareness programs, and to activate legal oversight within private sector institutions to promote the principles of justice and equality and achieve women's economic empowerment in a regulated and safe work environment. This analysis indicates that if the weak application of good governance indicators continues, the knowledge gap among women will widen, increasing their likelihood of being subjected to discrimination, harassment, and poor working conditions, especially in peripheral areas. It is also expected that women will gradually withdraw from the private labor market or refrain from engaging in it. Conversely, enhancing good governance indicators will contribute to improving the work environment, increasing women's participation, and narrowing the gap between Baghdad's districts. This could potentially place Iraq in higher international rankings in the areas of women's empowerment and good governance, if legal and institutional recommendations are effectively implemented.