April 13, 2004
An Urgent Petition to Protect Iraqi Women's Rights
Below is a copy of a petition that is calling for supporting the rights of Iraqi women, who are facing tremendous violence and economic insecurity, and are being marginalized in the political process. With the US government scheduled to hand over political authority to Iraqis on June 30, Iraqi women are worried that their rights will be further undermined.
We will be delivering it to UN Secretary General Kofi Annan before the transition of power on June 30th.
Please sign at:
http://www.codepinkalert.org/National_Actions_Petition_for_Iraqi_Women.shtml #sign and pass this message on to any women who you think would be interested in joining the call for women's rights.
We greatly appreciate your support at this critical juncture to promote the voices and needs of Iraqi women.
An Urgent Petition to Protect Iraqi Women's Rights
To: United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan
UNIFEM Executive Director Noeleen Heyzer
cc: U.S. President George W. Bush
U.K. Prime Minister Tony Blair
Administrator of the Coalition Provisional Authority L. Paul Bremer, III
Members of the Iraqi Governing Council
We, the undersigned, are deeply concerned that the occupation of Iraq, rather than bringing progress for women, has actually worsened their plight. With the political transition planned for June 30, we call on the United Nations to insist that Iraqi women have the opportunity to play a major role in the political and economic life of their country.
Iraqi women have been besieged by violence, unemployment and conservative forces that have undermined their position. The lack of security in Iraq and the increase in crimes like rapes, murders, and kidnappings have made many women afraid to leave their homes. Moreover, the high rate of unemployment - over 60% of the population - negatively affects many thousands of women who previously contributed to society through their work as doctors, lawyers, teachers, farmers, merchants, public sector employees, etc.
At the same time, the occupying authorities have failed to foster significant women's participation in the political process. As 60% of the population, women are grossly underrepresented in the current interim government. There are only 3 women out of 25 on the Interim Governing Council, no women governors in any of the 18 provinces, only 1 woman in charge in one of the 25 government ministries, and not one woman on the 9-person committee that wrote the Interim Constitution. This speaks volumes to the lack of US commitment to hear the voices of Iraqi women.
We are further concerned that Code 137, a reactionary resolution that would have moved family matters from civil courts into the hands of religious institutions, was actually passed by the US-appointed Interim Governing Council and only revoked after an outcry from Iraqi women and their allies. While we are delighted about the defeat of this code, conservative clerics and political parties like the Supreme Council of the Islamic Revolution in Iraq vow to try again once political control is turned over the Iraqis on June 30.
We are also concerned that the Interim Constitution signed on March 8 does not adequately address women's need for full representation. While Iraqi women spearheaded a national drive to have at least 40 percent representation in public administration, legislative bodies and the judiciary, the interim constitution came up with more much more modest call of 25%--and this is not a fixed quota, but a suggested target that could be easily ignored. Moreover, it only applies to the interim assembly, and not the appointed positions.
We urge you to take immediate action to protect Iraqi women and ensure their equal participation in Iraq's new government by addressing the following issues:
§ Ensure women's full participation in the formulation and implementation of government policy at all levels of government, as supported by UN Security Resolution1325 and Article 7 of Convention on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women. Pressure that the targeted goal for women in the assembly be turned into a compulsory quota, and that such quotas also apply to appointed positions.
§ Set aside a significant proportion of the reconstruction money for income-generating projects for Iraqi women. With hundreds of thousands of women-headed households throughout Iraq, it is critical to provide opportunities for women to earn a living.
§ Speed up the training and deployment of Iraqi security forces and the withdrawal of foreign troops to restore sovereignty and security to Iraq.
Thank you for your immediate attention to these matters. The women of Iraq are determined to move forward, not backward, in their struggle for a better life.
Sincerely,
Warm regards,
Medea Benjamin
Code Pink Women for Peace
Sammar Aziz
Organization for Women's Freedom in Iraq (OWFI)
Patti Chang
Women's Foundation
Janeane Garofalo
Actress/Comedienne
Dolores Huerta
United Farmworkers
Cynthia McKinney
Former Congresswoman
Alice Walker
Writer