It has been reported that between 60 percent and 70 percent of women in Iraq have
suffered some form of violence (physical, psychological, sexual or political abuse).
Manal Omar, a former consultant at the World Bank and currently Country
Director for the Women for Women International NGO in Iraq, came to the Bank to
discuss her eyewitness experience of the volatile situation in Iraq today as well
as make recommendations for helping women establish a more secure environment
for themselves.
In his introductory remarks, Ahmed Eiweida, an urban management specialist
for the World Bank, noted that the women’s agenda is a particularly important one
for Iraq for many reasons, including the loss of family members in the conflict
and the violence inflicted upon them as well. Women for Women International
was started in the 1990s due to incidents of rape during the conflict in Serbia
and Bosnia. The program for Iraq began this year. The agenda for the organization
is to move women from a crisis situation to security and ultimately sustainability.
Direct aid is given to the most vulnerable women for food and shelter needs.
This is followed by training on rights awareness and skills building for crafts
and literacy. This phase lasts a year, which is then followed by efforts to
develop entrepreneurial opportunities through micro-credit lending. Most of
the financial support comes from women in the US.
Omar noted Iraq has changed dramatically in the last five years. The notion
of civil society does not exist in the country to date. Still, Omar said she
was optimistic about the prospects for Baghdad in the post-conflict period.
During the 1950s and 1960s, women in Iraq were highly literate, contributed
to the economy and were involved in women’s rights issues throughout the region.
The Baathist regime created a schism in Iraq where some women who were part
of the party enjoyed the fruits of being aligned with the government. Those
who were not affiliated with the regime fell into what Omar called an institutionalized
poverty. Ghettos were literally created where women were living in extreme hardship.
During Saddam Hussein’s reign, there was also significant intellectual
capital fleeing the country. International sanctions, the wars with Iran and
the US complicated the difficulties faced by Iraqis and particularly women.
In the current post-conflict period, women are living in abandoned buildings
unable to afford escalating rents, refugees are arriving in Baghdad from outlying
areas and there is no central government to address these problems. Women for
Women conducts surveys to better understand the vulnerability of these people.
Security is a growing concern with rising levels of rapes, kidnapping and trafficking
of women. Women are afraid to walk the streets and are not going to work. Electricity
and water access are problems. Some of the NGOs are trying to build leadership
skills for women now so they may be more active politically, though Omar acknowledged
women in Iraq at his point are more interested in receiving basic services than
in who is governing.
Women for Women International’s work in Iraq is centered in Baghdad to address
the institutionalized poverty of the ghettos, and plans to expand activities
toward Basra and into the south over time. They work in the most dangerous areas
and communicate the concerns of women to the governing authorities. Skills building
is a core activity for the NGO. Key local industries are identified and efforts
are launched to get women involved in those businesses. Omar called the current
period a window of opportunity for women in the country. In the two months of
the her organization has worked in Iraq, Omar said she is seeing the initial
development of a civil society sector. They have also been able to raise security
and cultural concerns of women to American authorities. Omar emphasized development
will not be possible unless security issues were addressed fully. She noted
that her NGO’s efforts to address security included developing shelter
areas for female victims of violence. They also want to set up a resource library
for civil society and women. Finally, Women for Women International is seeking
to develop a gender mainstreaming agenda in each of the ministries.
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