Newroz Dijwar/JINHA

SILÊMANÎ – For the four women who run the Karadağ Cafeteria in the Federal Kurdistan Region city of Sulaymaniyah, this is more than a job. It's a struggle for economic independence.

"There are people who aren't used to women working in a place like this," said cafeteria owner Xanim Mihemed. She noted that there are few jobs where people in Southern Kurdistan feel comfortable seeing women. "But we stopped that idea."

Xanim Mihemed, a mother of three, has been running the restaurant since 2008. She also works as a teacher during the day and is working on a degree in computer engineering at Sulaymaniyah University, attending classes every evening.

"It's a little tiring, but it's worth it," she said. "I do it all because I love it." She said she planned this life for herself to ensure she would never be dependent on a man.

Three women work at the cafeteria now, but Xanim Mihemed says it's been hard to keep a steady staff, as the fathers and husbands of women in the city tend to forbid them from working.

"I just want to work for myself and help other women work at the same time," she said. "Every woman can have a job."

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