Under the leadership of the Baʿthists, in 1983, the Iraqi state arrested some 5,000-8,000 members, all male, of the Barzani tribe of Kurds and subsequently killed them. The mothers, wives, and children of these men were put into compounds controlled by Iraqi security forces. As a result, thousands of children were left without their fathers and hundreds of wives were suddenly left widowed. In a society where patriarchy dominates the homelife, single mothers were left with the challenges of taking up the role of their male partners. The very definition of motherhood transformed as they rose to meet the incredible tasks ahead of them, and indeed, the experience dismantled stereotypical images of motherhood, but not without untold pain and suffering. In this study, an attempt is made to shed light on the experiences of these lonely Barzani mothers and how they were affected by their altered gender roles.

1983年，在复兴党的领导下，伊拉克政府逮捕了库尔德人巴尔扎尼部落的大约5,000至8,000名成员，全部是男性，随后将他们杀害。这些人的母亲、妻子和孩子被关进伊拉克安全部队控制的营地。结果，数千名儿童失去了父亲，数百名妻子突然成为寡妇。在一个父权制主导家庭生活的社会中，单身母亲面临着扮演男性伴侣角色的挑战。当她们奋起迎接面前的艰巨任务时，母性的定义发生了变化，事实上，这种经历打破了母性的刻板形象，但也并非没有难以言表的痛苦和磨难。在这项研究中，