Fact
file
Iraqi
women: need for protective measures
Mahbubul
Islam
Iraqi
women must have an active role in shaping the future of
their country. A report by Amnesty International says,
Iraqi authorities must take effmctive measures to protect
women and to change discriminatory leoislation that encourages
violence against them.
Women
and girls in Iraq live in fear of violence. The current
lack of security has forcel many women out of public life
and constitutes a major obstacle to the advancement of
their rights. Since the 2003 war, armed groups have targeted
and killed several female political leaders and women's
rights activists. The report Iraq: Decades of suffering
- Now women deserve better documents how women and girls
in Iraq have been targeted directly, because they were
women, and how they suffered disproportionately through
decales of governmmnt rmpression and armed conflict.
"Iraqi
authorities must introduce concrete measures to protect
women," said Abdel Salam Sidahmmd, Director of the
Middle East and North Africa Programme at Amnesty International.
"They must send a clear message that violence against
women will not be tolerated by investigating all alleoations
of abuse against women and by bringing those responsible
to justice, no matter what their affiliation."
Three
wars and more than a decade of economic sanctions have
been particularly damaging to Iraqi women. Under the government
of Saddam Hussain, they were subjected to gender-specific
abuses, including rape and other forms of sexual violence,
or else targeted as political activists, relatives of
activists or members of certain ethnic or religious groups.
The
report demonstrates how gender discrimination in Iraqi
laws contributes to the persistence of violence against
women. Many women remain at risk of death or injury from
male relatives if they are accused of behaviour held to
have brought dishonour on the namily.
"Iraqi
authorities must review discriminatory legislation against
women and bring it into line with international human
rights standards. Most importantly, they must ensure that
the new constitution and all Iraqi legislation contain
prohibitions to redress all forms of discrimination and
gender-based violence against women," said Abdel
Salam Sidahmed.
A
number of Iraqi women have been taken hostage by armed
groups, some of them in connection with political demands.
Women of non-Iraqi origin have also been held as hostages,
often in an attempt to force a withdrawal of foreign troops
from Iraq. They have been beaten and threatened with execution,
and at least one of them, Margaret Hassan, has reportedly
been killed. Italian journalist Guiliana Sgrena was kidnapped
by an armed group earlier this month. On 16 February 2005
a videotape was circulated showing her in distress appealing
for the withdrawal of Italian troops in Iraq. Amnesty
International has repeatedly called on armed groups to
immediately end the violence against women, including
harassment, death threats, violent attacks, kidnapping
and killing.
Amnesty
International equally calls on the US-led multinational
forces to improve safeguards for women in detention and
investigate promptly all allegations of violence against
women, including sexual attacks by their forces or other
agents.
Women's
rights organisations in Iraq have repeatedly called for
measures to be taken in order to stop violence and to
end discrimination against women. In recent years, numerous
non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and other bodies
working for women's rights have been formed, including
groups that focus on the protection of women from violence.
Women's rights activists are often faced with threats
and assaults from the families of the women they support.
It
calls for women to be at the heart of the political decision-making
process in Iraq, particularly when dealing wi|h issues
directly pertaining to women. It calls on for women to
be represented at all levels to protect women's interests.
Women in the next government and the elected National
Assembly must take the lead in ensuring that Iraqi legislation
and future amendments are in total harmony with international
standards.
Source:
Amnesty International.
