In November, Qarib’s partners published dozens of diverse productions covering topics across Palestine, Iraq, Jordan, and Lebanon with support from the Qarib Program. Our partners in Iraq paid special attention to the Iraqi elections — the first since the dramatic regional developments that began on October 7.
Given the importance of these elections in the regional landscape, we dedicated a special discussion session in “Qarib Talks” to explore its outcomes. The conversation focused on the preliminary results, which reflected the traditional sectarian division in Iraq: Shiite influence in the south, Sunni dominance in majority-Sunni regions, and Kurdish control in the north. Liberal forces failed to establish a significant presence due to the electoral law and entrenched power structures.
Participants included Iraqi journalist and researcher Manar Al-Zubaidi, NIRIJ editor-in-chief Saman Noah, Asharq Al-Awsat journalist Ali Sarrai, and Jordan University’s Strategic Studies Center researcher Bilal Al-Adaileh.
The session attracted over 1,000 viewers on Facebook.
A notable aspect of these elections was the participation of women as candidates and voters. Iraqi women won 84 seats — a decline from the previous elections, in which they secured 95 seats.
Rasha Wathiq from Khutwa platform wrote:
“The number of female candidates reached 2,247 women competing among nearly 7,700 candidates. According to the law, no less than 25% of parliament seats — around 83 seats — are reserved for women.”
Women competed across the full political spectrum, from major parties to civil and independent lists. Notably, 12 electoral lists were managed by women — an indicator of their growing leadership roles within party structures.
Their participation was not merely numerical; it brought renewed attention to key social and legislative issues, including family protection, combating violence, and improving health and education services. Yet, women still face challenges hindering their empowerment, such as weak party support, limited decision-making roles, and societal pressure.
For more insights, we recommend this investigative report by our partner NIRIJ:
NIRIJ Report
In Lebanon, political forces are preparing for parliamentary elections scheduled for May. As in Iraq, these elections are the first after the devastating Israeli war on Lebanon and the targeted assassinations of Hezbollah’s leadership.
Marwa Saab covered these elections in Daraj Media, focusing on the challenges facing Lebanon’s reformist movement.
Qarib Program Director Conducts Field Visit to Iraq
Qarib Program Director Henrik Ahrens and Iraq Program Coordinator and Editor-in-Chief Qasem Khider visited the Kurdistan Region and Nineveh. The team held meetings with media partners and diplomats to discuss alternative media, press freedom, and journalist safety.
The team visited Dangi Nwe Radio in Halabja; met with Awene Media and Metro Center in Sulaymaniyah; held discussions with Al-Ghad Radio and its affiliated Kaf Lab in Mosul; and met with Yalla Media and NIRIJ teams in Erbil.
Qarib and Capacity-Building Initiatives
Alongside its content-support efforts, Qarib continued offering technical and capacity-building assistance for media platforms. Training began for Shamma Palestinian TV on youth-oriented video reporting, supported by Aramram in Jordan.
Work also began — with Qarib’s support — on restructuring the Bawaba24 website to relaunch it with a more engaging and focused editorial identity.
Journalist Susan Baaklini continued mentoring young independent reporters on environmental stories across Iraq, Jordan, Palestine, and beyond.
From Iraq, journalist Zeina Moayad published a report on electric-shock fishing and its devastating environmental impact.
In Gaza, several platforms reported growing chaos surrounding goods entering the Strip after the war, including price manipulation and unregulated distribution.
This report from “Last Story” sheds light on this ongoing tragedy.
In the West Bank, Dooz platform highlighted the controversy surrounding building permits that threaten the Roman Hippodrome in Hebron/Nablus.
In Jordan, Qarib is organizing a press gathering on December 5 during the ARIJ annual forum to highlight the importance of environmental reporting — after supporting dozens of journalists in recent climate summits and backing several new environmental productions this year.