A small factory on the outskirts of the Iraqi city of Karbala has since 2004 been employing about 100 women who sort dates for export. They work for about seven months after the dates are harvested each year. The jobs provide critical income for the female workers, who are often single mothers struggling to provide for their families. The importance of the factory to the local community has been highlighted by Covid-19 pandemic. Unicef estimates published in July 2020 said that nearly 4.5…
