Iraq: Jun ‘09
Prominent Iraqi women, attending an IWPR training event, discuss problems and obstacles they have to overcome in post-Saddam Iraq.
Iraq: Jun ‘09
Prominent Iraqi women, attending an IWPR training event, discuss problems and obstacles they have to overcome in post-Saddam Iraq.
Participants in an IWPR seminar promoting peace building through media, part of the Institute’s Women’s Media Initiative project, have spoken of the challenges facing women in the new Iraq.
This seminar, which was held from June 5-10, at IWPR’s office in Sulaimaniyah, drew 13 participants of varying ages from across Iraq. All were female journalists or leaders in their professions or communities.
Almas Fadhil Kamal Agha, 35, a Kurdish lawyer, and a member of Kirkuk’s provincial council, on which she chairs the legal committee, said, “My dream is to be a woman leader who is instrumental in changing laws [to benefit] women.”
Almas entered politics in 2007, at a time when it was becoming more acceptable for women to do so. Nonetheless, she says her work exposes her to dangers. “As a leader, you’re more vulnerable [to the likes of] al-Qaeda, kidnappers, Baathists. There’s a lot of post-war insecurity.
“Tradition is also a problem … [but] the situation had improved with more women trying to advance themselves … and the liberation of Iraq by the US [has allowed us] to mix with others and learn new things and have new experiences.”
Razaw Ahmed has made it her life work to fight for women, both in her native Kurdistan and elsewhere in Iraq.
Recently hired to serve as legal counsel to IWPR Iraq’s Women’s Media Initiative programme, the 36-year-old lawyer is an outspoken advocate for women’s rights.
Ahmed is a leading defender of trafficked women in Iraq, often taking on cases no one else will.
“There is no legal protection for women in Iraq. The culture and religion impact women and that’s reflected in the law,” she said.
“For example, in an adultery case, it’s a crime for [a] woman [to commit] adultery, but for a man, it’s only a crime if it’s done in the spousal home. That’s just discrimination.”
Iraq has a new government and a new constitution, but the new laws do not necessarily afford women more rights. Ahmed is troubled that “personal status” – or family – laws continue to limit inheritance settlements for women and legalise polygamy.
Prostitution laws are also unfair to women, Ahmed argued. The pimp and the prostitute are penalised but not the customer, who may serve as a witness for the prosecution.
“Many women are in jail accused of prostitution,” she said, “when they’re really victims of abuse.
“Most of these are really young girls, children who are threatened, raped, tortured and have nowhere to go. [Police] investigations are weak, the attitude of judges goes against the girls, and society also judges them harshly.”
Ashwaq Alqadi is a young freelance TV and newspaper reporter in Najaf. She says that while most Iraqi have grown accustomed to female journalists, her male colleagues giver her problems.
“Society says it’s okay, but not my [male] peers,” Ashwaq said. “They try to go through their bosses to intimidate me.”
Ashwaq is most proud of the stories she covers that make a difference in the lives of women, including a feature on a poor, sick widow with children. After the story was published, Ashwaq said, “She was taken care of.”
Farah, 32, not her real name, is a presenter for a Kurdish radio station, in the ethnically mixed city of Mosul , arguably the most dangerous part of Iraq.
As a female Turkoman working for a Kurdish radio station, Farah said she faces many obstacles.
“I was the only woman working in that station. And it was really difficult for me … For example, because I work for a Kurdistan political party station, I get threatened by terrorist groups in the area because the PUK (Patriotic Union of Kurdistan) isn’t liked. So I take precautions for my safety and I try to avoid relatives who say that it’s shameful for a woman to work in a radio station. They criticise me, but they don’t really know what I do,” she said.
As independent and courageous as she is in her professional life, Farah says her family pressure her to stay at home. Her father, whom Farah described as a constant critic who “hates me”, event tried to stop her attending the IWPR training session, she said.
When she was 15, he forced her to marry his 30-year-old first cousin. The marriage only lasted two months, but the divorce took three years.
Farah blamed her father for destroying her life, but acknowledged that re-marriage is still possible. Next time, she said, her partner will be her choice.
The information for this article was gathered by Paulette Lee, an international development communications consultant and former award-winning broadcast journalist who trained women journalists and community leaders for IWPR Iraq.
This seminar, which was held from June 5-10, at IWPR’s office in Sulaimaniyah, drew 13 participants of varying ages from across Iraq. All were female journalists or leaders in their professions or communities.
Almas Fadhil Kamal Agha, 35, a Kurdish lawyer, and a member of Kirkuk’s provincial council, on which she chairs the legal committee, said, “My dream is to be a woman leader who is instrumental in changing laws [to benefit] women.”
Almas entered politics in 2007, at a time when it was becoming more acceptable for women to do so. Nonetheless, she says her work exposes her to dangers. “As a leader, you’re more vulnerable [to the likes of] al-Qaeda, kidnappers, Baathists. There’s a lot of post-war insecurity.
“Tradition is also a problem … [but] the situation had improved with more women trying to advance themselves … and the liberation of Iraq by the US [has allowed us] to mix with others and learn new things and have new experiences.”
Razaw Ahmed has made it her life work to fight for women, both in her native Kurdistan and elsewhere in Iraq.
Recently hired to serve as legal counsel to IWPR Iraq’s Women’s Media Initiative programme, the 36-year-old lawyer is an outspoken advocate for women’s rights.
Ahmed is a leading defender of trafficked women in Iraq, often taking on cases no one else will.
“There is no legal protection for women in Iraq. The culture and religion impact women and that’s reflected in the law,” she said.
“For example, in an adultery case, it’s a crime for [a] woman [to commit] adultery, but for a man, it’s only a crime if it’s done in the spousal home. That’s just discrimination.”
Iraq has a new government and a new constitution, but the new laws do not necessarily afford women more rights. Ahmed is troubled that “personal status” – or family – laws continue to limit inheritance settlements for women and legalise polygamy.
Prostitution laws are also unfair to women, Ahmed argued. The pimp and the prostitute are penalised but not the customer, who may serve as a witness for the prosecution.
“Many women are in jail accused of prostitution,” she said, “when they’re really victims of abuse.
“Most of these are really young girls, children who are threatened, raped, tortured and have nowhere to go. [Police] investigations are weak, the attitude of judges goes against the girls, and society also judges them harshly.”
Ashwaq Alqadi is a young freelance TV and newspaper reporter in Najaf. She says that while most Iraqi have grown accustomed to female journalists, her male colleagues giver her problems.
“Society says it’s okay, but not my [male] peers,” Ashwaq said. “They try to go through their bosses to intimidate me.”
Ashwaq is most proud of the stories she covers that make a difference in the lives of women, including a feature on a poor, sick widow with children. After the story was published, Ashwaq said, “She was taken care of.”
Farah, 32, not her real name, is a presenter for a Kurdish radio station, in the ethnically mixed city of Mosul , arguably the most dangerous part of Iraq.
As a female Turkoman working for a Kurdish radio station, Farah said she faces many obstacles.
“I was the only woman working in that station. And it was really difficult for me … For example, because I work for a Kurdistan political party station, I get threatened by terrorist groups in the area because the PUK (Patriotic Union of Kurdistan) isn’t liked. So I take precautions for my safety and I try to avoid relatives who say that it’s shameful for a woman to work in a radio station. They criticise me, but they don’t really know what I do,” she said.
As independent and courageous as she is in her professional life, Farah says her family pressure her to stay at home. Her father, whom Farah described as a constant critic who “hates me”, event tried to stop her attending the IWPR training session, she said.
When she was 15, he forced her to marry his 30-year-old first cousin. The marriage only lasted two months, but the divorce took three years.
Farah blamed her father for destroying her life, but acknowledged that re-marriage is still possible. Next time, she said, her partner will be her choice.
The information for this article was gathered by Paulette Lee, an international development communications consultant and former award-winning broadcast journalist who trained women journalists and community leaders for IWPR Iraq.
