Since the US occupation and regime change in Iraq, women have lost more freedom than they’ve gained. Incidents of rape and abduction by organized gangs have increased fear of sexual violence in Baghdad, deterring women from returning to work or seeking employment, and increasing the incidence of ‘honor killings’ by male family members.^[1]

Victims of rape or abduction refrain from contacting the police or hospitals, for fear of being killed for bringing shame on family honor.^[2] Baghdad’s forensics lab reports performing at least 10 virginity tests on girls and young women each week, typically at the request of girls’ families.^[3] Armed conservative religious groups are pressuring schools and workplaces to require women and girls to wear the veil under threat of acid attack or abduction.^[3] Families fear permitting their daughters to go out at all, except to school and only in groups with escort.^[4] Female student enrollment and attendance has dropped significantly.^[5] Lack of jobs and security for women in general has forced some to resort to prostitution‚ at grave risk of an ‘honor’ killing.^[6]

Heeding conservative religious protests, US military indefinitely postponed the swearing-in of the first woman in Najaf to be appointed a judge.^[7] The Iraqi Governing Council, appointed by Paul Bremer and the Coalition Provisional Authority, proposed changing the celebration of International Women’s Day to the birthdate of one of the Prophet Mohammed’s daughters, but relented in response to women’s opposition.^[8]

When the Iraqi Governing Council (IGC) proposed adopting conservative Shari’a law over Iraq’s existing family law statutes, the Organization for Women’s Freedom in Iraq (OWFI) mobilized vocal resistance that led to the retraction of the resolution.^[9] OWFI’s leader, Yanar Mohammed, received several death threats, and sought protection from the Coalition Provisional Authority led by Paul Bremer. She was told they had more urgent matters to attend to. Amnesty International had its own appeal on her behalf go unanswered by the Coalition Provisional Authority.^[10]

The oversight of threats to women was unfortunate. Of the four women members of the Iraqi Governing Council and the interim Cabinet, two faced assassination attempts. Aquila al Hashimi was killed. Nasreen Mustafa al-Burwari survived, although her three bodyguards died. In April 2005, armed gunmen assassinated a female member of the National Assembly, Lamea Abed Khadouri, at her home, making her the first elected official killed since the January 30th elections. She was one of 90 female members of the 275-member National Assembly and had survived two previous assassination attempts.

Iraqi women’s organizations like OWFI are braving this hostile climate and death threats to demand women’s rights and representation in public bodies and to protect women’s lives in private, helping shield them from ‘honor’ killings as well. The Organization of Women's Freedom in Iraq estimates over ten years it has helped 250 women escape ‘honor’ killings by their families, hiding them in a safe house or even smuggling them out of the country.

One of them is Kajul Khudur, now living in Canada. Suspected of having an extra-marital affair, she was almost beaten to death by her husband’s male relatives while pregnant. The men decided to wait until after the baby’s birth to kill Kajul, so instead they cut off her nose. Yanar and others helped her escape Iraq through Europe to Canada. She has had plastic surgery, and her baby Lisa is now five years old.^[11]

V-Day has linked closely with the Organization of Women’s Freedom in Iraq, raising funds and giving Yanar Mohammed the opportunity to address public audiences in the US in 2003 and 2004. In addition to speaking at the Omega Institute Conference, “Women and Power: Our Time to Lead,” Yanar met with members of Congress, gave interviews to The New York Times and national radio programs, and secured collaborations with national women’s organizations such as MADRE and CodePink to work in solidarity with OWFI. Yanar herself also works as Editor in Chief of a Baghdad newspaper called Equality (Al-Mousawat). After only three issues, she received a court summons for writing a story rejecting compulsory veils for women in Baghdad.

A plea from OWFI resounds, “We call on all defenders of gender equality and women’s freedom to add their voices to the voices of women in Iraq.”^[12]
For the 2005 Worldwide Campaign of benefit performances, V-Day’s Spotlight was on “Women of Iraq: Under Siege.” A percent of all performance proceeds is donatedto V-Day’s courageous partners there.


PARTNER ORGANIZATIONS IN IRAQ

Organization of Women’s Freedom in Iraq
The Organization of Women’s Freedom in Iraq has established two Women’s Shelters in Iraq as a first appropriate step to defend women’s rights and protect them against all kinds of degradation, abuse, and violence including the random killing of women. These shelters, which are safe havens for women in Iraq, are a crucial tool and an endeavor to fight the oppression against women and violation of their rights. They will be humanist and progressive symbols in the society, their priority is to protect women’s dignity.
Yanar Mohammad (email)
www.equalityiniraq.com

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¹ “Climate of Fear: Sexual Violence and Abduction of Women and Girls in Baghdad,” Human Rights Watch, July 2003. “Iraq: Insecurity Driving Women Indoors,” Human Rights Watch, July 16, 2003.
² ibid
³ “Marked Women: A Rash of Unpunished Honor Killings Highlights the Harrowing Dangers Females Face in the New Iraq,” Time Magazine, July 26, 2004
⁴ “Violence Against Women Increases Sharply,” Amnesty International, 3/31/2004
⁵ “Climate of Fear: Sexual Violence and Abduction of Women and Girls in Baghdad,” Human Rights Watch, July 2003
⁶ Save The Children, UK, “Assessment in three schools,” Baghdad, May 2003.
⁷ “Marked Women: A Rash of Unpunished Honor Killings Highlights the Harrowing Dangers Females Face in the New Iraq,” Time Magazine, July 26, 2004
⁸ “New Female Judge Blocked in Najaf,” United Press International, 7/30/2003
⁹ “An empty sort of freedom,” The Guardian, 3/8/2004
¹⁰ “Iraqi Minister’s remarks on International Women’s Day,” State Department, 3/8/2004, http://www.state.gov/g/wi/30247.htm
¹¹ “Violence Against Women Increases Sharply,” Amnesty International, 3/31/2004
¹² “Iraq’s Newly Appointed Cabinet Includes Six Women,” Feminist Majority Foundation, 4/29/2005
¹³ Organization for Women’s Freedom in Iraq, http://www.equalityiniraq.com
¹⁴ “Statement from the Organization of Women’s Freedom in Iraq on the Governing Council’s adoption of Islamic Shari’a Law,” http://www.equalityiniraq.com, 1/14/2004

News Articles: V-Day and Iraq

22 Feb 2005		Amnesty International Release report: Iraq: Decades of Suffering, Urges Iraq Authorities Must Protect Women
5 Feb 2005		Letters from Iraq (from the Diary of Yanar Mohammad): Enjoying our Post-election Democracies in Iraq
1 Feb 2005		the Organization of Women’s Freedom in Iraq The Organization of Women’s Freedom in Iraq (OWFI) was founded in 2003, and since its beginnings has proved itself as a truly pioneering organization.
28 Jan 2005		Spotlight On Iraq:  Election Commentary By OWFI in The Independent (UK) An election commentary by V-Day awardee – Organization For Women’s Freedom In Iraq.
24 Jan 2005		V-Day Awardee Yanar Mohammed Featured in The Guardian (UK, Monday, January 24) Since the war, life has badly deteriorated for women in Iraq and girls are being forced to wear the veil again. Rory McCarthy meets those determined to fight back
21 Dec 2004		2005 women of iraq Since the US occupation and regime change in Iraq, women have lost more freedom than they've gained.
3 Dec 2004		Update From Yanar Mohammed Of Organization for Women's Freedom In Iraq
14 Oct 2004		The New York Times: V-Day Awardee Yanar Mohammed Featured: Shielding Women From A Renewal Of Domestic Violence A sampling of the smashed lives in this city's first shelter for battered women shows just how much work its founder, Yanar Mohamed, has before her.
18 Aug 2004		Iraqi and Afghan Women Activists Urge American Women to Vote Yanar Mohammed of Iraq and "Zoya" of Afghanistan in NYC for "Women and Power: Our Time to Lead" Conference Sponsored by Omega Institute and V-Day.
26 Jul 2004		Marked Women, A rash of unpunished honor killings highlights the harrowing dangers females face in the new Iraq, TIME magazine When U.S. forces overthrew Saddam Hussein 15 months ago, the Bush Administration proclaimed that women's rights would be a centerpiece of its project to make Iraq a democratic model for the rest of the Arab world. But for many Iraqi women, the tyranny of Saddam's regime has been replaced by chronic violence and growing religious conservatism that have stifled their hopes for wider freedoms - and, for many, put their lives in even greater peril.
14 Nov 2003		V-Day Hosts Iraqi activist Yanar Mohammed in U.S. November 16-18
18 Feb 2003		v-day says no to war with iraq V-Day's mission is to end violence against women and girls worldwide. As such, we stand in opposition to war. We ask all political leaders to break the old paradigm of responding to violence with more violence.