Oxfam Lunchtime Talk: Stop Violence Against Women - Iraq (27th November 2006)

I found a bunch of notes form when I used to work at Oxfam House in Oxford. They were lunchtime talks I attended, I thought I would post them here:

 Stop Violence Against Women - Iraq (27th November 2006) 

Armed men kicked 5 women out on the steeet even though they had a housing contract.
No woman allowed to go out without being properly covered, can't wear trousers and in the car need to sit in the back otherwise they are beaten/killed/have acid thrown on their face.
Can't take public transportation if you are a woman.

Escalating vioelnce specifically targetting women. Lots of women being abducted (to be raped). Sometimes raped and killed and bodies dumped. Families don't acknowledge as it is shame upon them.

Sometimes they are raped, a ransom is asked and when they come home they are killed (honour killings). Punishment for an honour killing is maximum 6 months in jail, sometimes 2 months. At present there is no law.

Many professional women (doctors, engineers and activists) are threatened or killed. Women are killed for not dressing properly and for sectarianism.

The majority of the Government is made up of conservative religious groups. Government allowed to segregate ministries. Power of clerics have increased. Things like multiple marriages increasing which didn't happen before. Pleasure marriages are on the increase.

The people are brutalised. Women have alwaus been in work since 1930s. Women are politically active. 1959 - women rights law.

8 billion interpretations of Islamic law. They did the research and picked the most progressive law. Law applied to everyone. Really empowered women and protected their rights. 1970s oil boom - more women went to work. Women make up 55% -65% of the population. US and UK occupation will worsen women's rights because no more infrastructure.

There is no law (24 million people) that's the worst part. Things that happened under Saddam's regime not trivial - mass murders.

Honour killings - one's that aren't killed are moved to another area where no one knows who they are.

Police acting in an unofficial way. Political parties deny having anything to do with it. Eye witnesses don't investigate. The population is like an abused child, abused children grow up to be abusers.

http://www.acttogether.org/

I remember this being the most powerful talk I went to, the speaker became very emotional and broke down and cried at the attrocities she had witnessed. It was very powerful and moving.