Once it was very clear that weapons of mass destruction did not exist in the country we had bombed, invaded and allowed to be systematically looted, and whose infrastructure we wrecked and whose social fabric we had drastically weakened over the previous decade of sanctions - the British government's excuse then was “to bring freedom and democracy”.
Women in Iraq, especially urban and working women, have become less “free” than at any time since the 1930s, and their role in this new quasi-democracy is further threatened by Iraq's 2005 constitution. The current constitution does not provide a unified personal status code but states that issues pertaining to family laws will be decided within the different religious communities. This does not provide any safeguards against conservative discriminatory interpretations of Islamic law and also furthers sectarianism. The current provision also presents a huge step backwards from the more progressive and unified Personal Status Code of the 1959 constitution and the amendments made in 1978.
Window of opportunity
There is an agreed three-month window for amendments to the present constitution and 35 women's organisations inside Iraq have come together to lobby their government to make amendments to it.
The recent visit to London of Sundus Abass, Director of the Women in Leadership Institute, Baghdad, was to raise public awareness about this issue and to kickstart a solidarity campaign. It is most important that women in Iraq who have serious concerns about the present constitution and who have proposals to improve it regarding the status of women are heard on the international stage and supported by women and men outside as well as inside Iraq.
Act Together - Women's Action for Iraq - arranged a full programme for Sundus's visit which included public meetings at SOAS and the House of Commons (hosted by Clare Short), three other parliamentary meetings with Committees and MPs, and meetings with the Women's National Commission, the Bar Human Rights Committee, and international NGOs (hosted by Amnesty). Sundus was interviewed by the BBC Arabic and English World Services, and a number of Arabic media. Her visit also coincided with the Iraqi Prime Minister's visit to London and she was able to present him with a statement on behalf of the Iraqi women's organisations and she was also invited to give a public presentation at the Embassy.
Empowerment and action
So what was achieved? A number of MPs volunteered to use various methods - information, embarrassment, linking contacts - within government. Further training and empowerment possibilities for Iraqi women activists are being discussed and planned within a number of organisations.
A publication is being prepared of the papers given at the SOAS meeting, and an Arabic language film is being edited for use in Iraq, which is a record of a highly useful discussion between Sundus and two other Iraqi women experts on the constitution and its history.
Sundus was able to have direct contact with her Prime Minister and Ambassador. Many hundreds of people in the UK - from MPs, Lords and Ambassadors to “ordinary people” - learned first-hand of the current situation for women in Iraq, and many thousands world wide will have heard radio broadcasts.
You can download the seven action points that Sundus identified for people here to take to support Iraqi women - http://www.acttogether.org/sundus.htm#action and you can also find a list of Iraqi organisations you could contact and support at: http://www.acttogether.org/organisationsfordonations.htm
Act Together thanks the Urgent Action Fund, J Sheridan, and The Maypole Fund for making the visit possible. Since returning, Sundus has been forced by death threats to leave Baghdad. We wish her good luck and safety in her work wherever she is forced to do it before she is able to return home to family, friends and remaining colleagues.