Iraq's female booksellers turn the page on gender roles
Iraqi women have started operating their own bookstores in different Iraqi cities, challenging the country's book selling industry that has been dominated by men.
BAGHDAD — With its shelves filled with books by Russian and Italian authors alongside contemporary Iraqi writers, Books Town provides a welcome refuge in Baqubeh in Diyala governorate, which is known for sectarian violence and the Islamic State (IS).
The bookstore, which is a frequent stop for many intellectuals in Diyala governorate, is owned by Tayseen Ameer, a 31-year-old engineer. A woman who runs a bookstore is a rarity in the area but this has not stopped Ameer, who was dismayed that only a few bookstores cater to customers sitting down and reading.
“I wanted to spare local readers the effort of traveling all the way to Baghdad to buy books,” Ameer told Al-Monitor.
She said that she has faced many obstacles since she opened her bookshop in 2016 at the town's commercial center, where most shops and large markets are owned by men. Some of her family members opposed her opening the bookstore, while some people who walked in harassed her, saying she had no business doing a man’s job.
