Just to answer some of the comments below on this, as a woman and solo traveler we must use extreme caution traveling almost everywhere. As a woman on your own you are a walking target for crime and unwanted advanced, and in certain countries not as respected unless traveling with a man. Many will try to take advantage of you. This would be my concern if traveling alone anywhere in the middle east.

Kurdistan inhabitants are Muslim, but adherents to other religions are present as well – including Yarsanism, Yazidis, Alevis, Christians. They dont for hijabs and their women also help fight Isis.

I live here. Still perfectly alive and with positive experience :)

I don't know about Iraq but a friend of mine went to Iran all by herself and had a really great time, met interesting people and travelled around. I don't think it's all about the gender...

I wonder if a woman would have had the same positive experience in Europe. Being Dutch myself I know for sure that there are lots of places in the Netherlands where a woman travelling alone would get in trouble if she assumed she was safe because she was travelling in a civilised western liberated country.

Iraqi Kurdistan is officially secular and has enacted a number of progressive laws in the years since the Gulf War.

Andrea, I know quite a few women who traveled around Iraqi Kurdistan solo and had absolutely no problems. So I'm pretty sure you'd be fine if you went there :)

My friend is a short female archaeologists with a mane of bright red hair, which she does not cover. She goes to Kurdistan every year to dig. She has not reported any problems. Sample size = 1.

No, she won't, but I don't think he's denying Islamic society is backwards about women. He's simply trying to show Iraq is not some sort of sandy bombing range. I would add that the Kurds in particular also have women warriors and in general are more feminist (relatively speaking) than others. Also, things are changing: for example, the new king of Saudi Arabia (of all places) is doing much pro-feminist reform.

I went to Iran on my own. The biggest threat to a woman there is probably the police.

In Kurdish parts probably yes!

I do know they're NOT the same countries, but I was watching video of one Polish travel-vlogger Globstory on How is it in Iran - and she had pretty the same conclusion. The world is far better place than the news try to tell us - scared and not able to think on their own people are easier to manipulate and rule in general ;)

Regardless, I just want to say that your comment is quite annoying because this post is to spread positivity and open peoples eyes so they can see the reality of these people. You're here pointing out a flaw that is not entirely related to this post. Yes, the flaw is there, but that's not the point of the post. By bringing that point up, you sound as if you are trying to counter the statement that 'Iraq isn't as bad as the media makes it out the be'. And you'd be wrong in doing so. These places were far from perfect, but they were still much better before war and violence ravaged the,

She quite possibly could have, but she would have to maintain a much lower profile. Like, wear a scarf or something. I'm speaking from experience, btw. It can be done, but things aren't as advanced in those countries, so women have to exercise caution. It's best to travel with a male.

Steve Chu , the guy on Youtube who flies 1st class met a couple of women who were traveling Saudi Arabia and Iraq.

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Way to miss the point of this completely. This is a dumb, white thing to say.

YES!

Like those 2 Scandanavian Girls WHO went to Morrocco and Got Gang RAPED and BEHEADED?

Nobody doubts that most of the people there are just fine. I remember a news story from just before the American invasion into Iraq after the whole Kuwait ordeal and the locals that were hired by the American journalists were so shocked to find out that the Americans were just like them and they sat around and had beers and became friends. We in the west know that, but we've heard so many stories of kidnappings etc that we're nervous because it only takes on bad person out of the hundreds of people you may meet to ruin everything.

The woes of the area go way back. Here is a nugget from a little over a century ago. It is amazing that the Middle Eastern countries are doing as well as they do, considering the outlandish meddling and map drawing by European colonialist powers, and now the American "defense" industry. The 1916 secret treaty between the United Kingdom and France (plus Russia and Italy), the Sykes-Picot Agreement. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sykes%E2%80%93Picot_Agreement

Wise words, Nadine. But I am afraid that most of these people with stereotype vision who have never been out of their country, and yet 'know' more about your part of the world than you do will be hard to convince.

Tell that to the MOSTLY White Christian girls and some Sikh girls being Gang RAPED and SOLD into Prostitution By Pakistani Muslims in England for OVER 40 Years!

Mewton’s Third Paw, she sure sounds much more intelligent than you...

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You wouldn’t if you were a man either, because you’re not as open and intelligent as the OP.

Yeah, although I think the point of this post was to show that just because the government and laws are bad, doesn't mean those forced to follow them are. This guy met some amazing PEOPLE in Iraq, not an necessarily amazing country in terms of how it is run.