Sisters cooking for themselves at Iraq’s women-only restaurant

Friday, 3 August 2018 00:00 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

ERBIL, Iraq (Reuters) - At Luxury Time, a restaurant in the Kurdish city of Erbil, there are no man-size portions.

The women-only restaurant, with its all-female staff, was opened this month by 23-year-old business graduate Tara Mohammed Ihssan, who was fed up of unwanted attention on nights out with friends in northern Iraq.

“If you want to go out, it is so uncomfortable because everyone is staring at you,” she told Reuters. “So, I have always thought about doing something like this for me and for the rest of the girls to feel comfortable.”

However, the restaurant’s sleek, modern interior, with hanging chandeliers and colourful couches, has drawn unwanted attention, with some men coming to the door to see what the fuss is all about.

“I have been thinking, if it stays this way, I will put security on the door,” Ihssan said.

“I find it unfair as all the cafes here are just for men. Why can’t you accept that there is this cafe for ladies?”