The conservative notion that women don’t belong in the workplace runs deep in Iraq. Combined with a variety of other factors, the result is that only 12% of Iraqi women are employed. This is a problem that is perhaps felt most acutely by those who need financial independence to escape harassment and domestic violence or to rebuild their lives after divorce.

But despite facing a litany of challenges—including a traditional patriarchal society—a new wave of entrepreneurial Iraqi women is taking matters into their own hands and setting up online shops: not just for cash, but also for pride...