Talk:Organization of Women's Freedom in Iraq

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Wiki Education Foundation-supported course assignment

This article was the subject of a Wiki Education Foundation-supported course assignment, between 21 January 2020 and 7 May 2020. Further details are available on the course page. Student editor(s): Piarriero37. Peer reviewers: Dianadmonroy05.

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Expand Information on OWFI

Hello,

I am planning to add more information to the Wiki page of OWFI. I will be creating new subcategories on the effects of US presence, the impact, and importance of the group. I want to work with the people on this page. I look forward to expanding this Wiki. — Preceding unsigned comment added by SilviaC2014 (talk • contribs) 05:43, 21 November 2018 (UTC)[reply]

Additions to OWFI Wiki

This is what I will add to the wiki page in order to gauge a better idea of the conditions in Iraq for women and why this organization matters.

These are he additions I will make to the OWFI Wiki page.

Contents 1 OWFI Newsletter 2 Women in Iraq 3 Struggles faced by the Iraqi Community 4 Abuse of women in Iraq 5 Relevancy of OWFI OWFI Newsletter The OWFI has a blog that contains updates on the events they have organized as well as bringing awareness about what is happening in the Iraqi government and women’s status in Iraq. They also have a newsletter that they sent out very few months to highlight their efforts in the fight against. In their latest newsletter posted in June 2018, they identify that the democracy in Iraq is not functioning as the latest elections have failed to announce the final results from their elections and also they organized an event where they discussed the discrimination that exist In Iraq towards Black Iraqi women. On their website Yanar Mohammed says “This year in particular we are committing to lobbying structural and legislative changes for women's rights in Iraq”[1].

Women in Iraq Post US occupation in Iraq, here has been lack of jobs and education in Baghdad, Iraq. This has led to men and women seeking jobs near Damascus, Syria. Unfortunately for women they are tricked into employment at textile factories that can pay up to $300 a month and forced into sex work once they arrive in Damascus. This phenomenon has brought many women and girls as young as 12-years-old to Syria because of the economic instability that Iraqi families have faced in the past 15-years. NGOs estimate 800,000 Iraqi people have moved to Syria in order to find employment[2]. The local agency in Syria turn a blind eye to sex trafficking because they do not receive enough funds from according to the UNHCR Representative who had requested back 2006 a budget of $1.3 million but only received $700,000, this roughly equals $1 per Iraqi refuge in Syria. Since then the financial situation has worsen and many refugees that are in need go without assistance from the UNHCR[2].

Mohammed explained that “Many of them were unable to return home, because their extended families and tribes have rejected them because they are seen as dishonorable. Others have no home to return to after ISIS fighters massacred or displaced their families and destroyed their villages”, this narrative is common especially with the Qadiya refugees[3].

Many of the women who are raped and/or forced into sex work face the same treatment of dishonor from their families. Even if the women befriend a foreign soldier, the family expects to have her beheaded in order to retain their honor in the community in Baghdad[3].

In the city of Basra honor killings are so common that “hitmen” can be hired by the head of the family to restore honor if their daughters were raped or in contact with US armed forces. Southern Iraqi law enforcement claims that they are powerless to monitor and prevent honor killings. In 2008 there was a 70% increase in religious murders. Since then there has not been any improvements made in those numbers or steps taken by the government to stop this[4]. In 2007, at the Basra security committee a lawyer explained how police in Basra take measures in order to prevent for perpetrators from being convicted of murder. This had led to more men participating as "hitmen" for prices as low as $100. In the city of Basra, 81 women were murdered in the pretense of bringing shame to their household, but only five people were convicted[4]. Struggles faced by the Iraqi Community Iraqi state is in bad conditions, the Islamic State (ISIS) grows stronger due to the lack of security from the corrupt government. Many women experience some form of violence whether it be from a family member or a stranger in the streets. The women don’t see justice for the actions they have been victims to and are punished on top of that by the family[3].

The rise of the Islamic State stems from years of a Shiite dominated government. The Prime Minister, who was a Shiite Muslim leader, Nouri Al Maliki, oppressed Sunni Muslims in Iraq and created divisions in the region. There is Kurdish North, Sunni West, and Shiite South, this weakens the local communities making them prone to ISIS attacks. These areas do not have consistent resources which the people protest, the government responded by attacking demonstrators and even killing a young man to stop their protesting[5].

The Islamic State bases their values on Sharia Law. Before Sharia Law, the laws that existed had provided women with minimal rights. This laws were implemented in 1959 setting laws in place such as setting the marriage age at 18, for inheritance purposes for men and women to be equal, and restricting polygamy. Legislation played an important role in implementing policies that allowed women to gain advancement in education and employment[5]. Over throwing of Saddam Hussein, created a power vacuum for Sunni and Shiite Muslims to grasp for power. In that 2003 the leader was a Shiite Muslim who decided to place Sharia Law and eliminating family laws. This made it easier for to enforce women being covered whether they were Muslim or not and punishable by death if the women were not in accordance to the law. Shiite and Sunni militia groups target women by abducting, beating, raping, assassinating, trafficking, and murdering women[6].

Abuse of women in Iraq Women of Iraq are prone to be victims of violence and to be accepting of domestic violence. In a study from the Journal of Family Violence they collected data demonstrating that an average of 63% of Iraqi women agree that being hit or beaten by their husbands is justified. In rural areas the number was 73% compared to 58% in urban regions. In northern Iraq they saw the lowest number being 57% of acceptance of domestic violence[7].

Relevancy of OWFI The OWFI is important to Iraqi women because the organization fights for women’s rights and also teaches women about their rights such as voting. OWFI is one of the most outspoken women’s rights groups of Iraq. They are part of a state wide movement where the women do not rely on Americans or British to liberate them or to increase their rights. The OWFI has a non-imperialist agenda to fight for justice and help women who have been shunned by their families[8]. The OWFI has an established network in Iraq and also on a global scale for advocating gender inclusive governments. The OWFI also provides humanitarian support to women, this includes food, shelter, medicine, and clothing[8]. — Preceding unsigned comment added by SilviaC2014 (talk • contribs) 23:31, 5 December 2018 (UTC)[reply]