What is happening to women in Iraq?
Dec 13, 2007 · Even under Saddam, women in Iraq - including in semi-autonomous Kurdistan - were widely recognised as among the most liberated in the Middle East. They held important positions in business,...
What do women's rights organizations do in Iraq?
Feb 06, 2014 · Reuters. Feb. 6, 2014, 12:01 AM EST | Updated Apr. 7, 2014. BAGHDAD, Feb 6 (Reuters) - Iraqi authorities are detaining thousands of women illegally and subjecting many to torture and ill-treatment, including the threat of sexual abuse, Human Rights Watch said in a report published on Thursday.
Is Iraq's Human Rights Ministry'over-exaggerating'reports about female prisoners?
Apr 02, 2003 · It says that "women shall be treated with all the regard due to their sex and shall in all cases benefit by treatment as favorable as that granted to men." As with domestic laws, there is a question as to how far this equality guarantee requires additional safeguards for women, beyond what men are entitled to.
What did the Iraqi guard do to the American woman?
Sep 05, 2013 · At least one in five female veterans of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan has screened positive for military sexual trauma (MST) once back home, Department of Veterans Affairs records show. And this may understate the crisis, experts say, because this number only counts women who go to the VA for help.
What are women's rights like in Iraq?
The Iraqi Provisional Constitution (drafted in 1970) formally guaranteed equal rights to women and other laws specifically ensured their right to vote, attend school, run for political office, and own property. Yet, since the 1991 Gulf War, the position of women within Iraqi society has deteriorated rapidly.
When did women lose rights in Iraq?
Upper-class women began to enter the country s job market in the 1920s and 1930s, and for much of Saddam Hussein's reign Iraqi women enjoyed relative freedom. In 1979, the Iraqi constitution declared all women and men equal before the law.
Do women in Iraq work?
Less than 15% of women participate in the labor market in Iraq and Jordan, and only 26% do in Lebanon. These are among the lowest women labor participation rates worldwide.Nov 16, 2020
When did Iraq gave women the right to vote?
1980Women attained the right to vote and run for office in 1980. In 1986, Iraq became one of the first countries to ratify the Convention on Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW).
How are women treated in Afghanistan?
Women and girls are deprived of education and denied economic liberty. In their pre-marriage and post-marriage relationships, their ability to assert their economic and social independence is limited by their families. Most married Afghan females are faced with the stark reality that they are forced to endure abuse.
How are women treated in Iran?
According to Sharia, women inherit half of what a man would, and compensation for the death of a woman is also half. Sharia law still favors men, but Article 21 of the constitution as well as a few parliament-passed laws give women some advantages. Women are allowed to drive, hold public office, and attend university.
What is education like for women in Iraq?
Many other girls in Iraq are deprived of their right to education. According to UNESCO, 26.4% of Iraqi women are illiterate, with the percentage believed to be much higher in rural areas, reaching up to 50%.May 19, 2019
How are women treated in Turkey?
In Turkey, women are free. Free to dress how they want (no head scarfs required, except when entering a mosque), go where they want, drive, work, etc. On the surface, some parts of Turkey (parts of Istanbul and Izmir for sure) feel like Mediterranean Europe.Jul 19, 2021
Are women allowed to be educated in Iraq?
In 1987 approximately 75 percent of Iraqi women were literate. In 2000, Iraq had the lowest regional adult literacy levels, with the percentage of literate women at less than 25 percent. This makes it increasingly difficult to put educated women in a position of power.
How are women treated in Pakistan?
Pakistan ranks as the sixth most dangerous country for women in regards to domestic violence. Patriarchal and cultural norms greatly impact women's rights in Pakistan. Honor killings and violence within the home are prevalent. Recently, social media model and activist Qandeel Baloch's brother strangled her to death.
When did blacks get the right to vote?
The Fifteenth Amendment (ratified in 1870) extended voting rights to men of all races. However, this amendment was not enough because African Americans were still denied the right to vote by state constitutions and laws, poll taxes, literacy tests, the “grandfather clause,” and outright intimidation.Jun 9, 2021
How many people have been killed in the Falluja attack?
In the ensuing backlash, militants seized the city of Falluja and parts of Ramadi. Since then, more than 1,000 people have been killed across Iraq, according to Iraq Body Count, and the army is preparing for a possible ground assault to retake Falluja.
Is Iraq detaining women?
BAGHDAD, Feb 6 (Reuters) - Iraqi authorities are detaining thousands of women illegally and subjecting many to torture and ill-treatment, including the threat of sexual abuse, Human Rights Watch said in a report published on Thursday.
When did women get to serve in the military?
In part, that is because in 1994 , during the Clinton Administration, the Pentagon discarded the "Risk Rule," and authorized women to serve in any military post other than in frontline infantry, Special Forces, or armor or artillery units.
How many women are in the military?
Overall, more than 200,000 women currently serve in the armed forces. These women make up 15 percent of both the enlisted ranks and the officer corps, 6 percent of the Marines, and 19 percent of the Air Force.
What are the Geneva Conventions?
The Geneva Conventions of 1949 govern the treatment of soldiers and civilians during armed conflicts. The Geneva Convention III relates to the Treatment of Prisoners of War. The August 1949 treaties, whose signatories include the United States and Iraq, took effect on October 21, 1950, after the Nuremberg war crimes trials in Germany. They continue to apply now.
What is Article 14?
Meanwhile, Article 14 provides an equality guarantee of sorts for women POWs. It says that "women shall be treated with all the regard due to their sex and shall in all cases benefit by treatment as favorable as that granted to men.".
Where were the nurses captured?
Many were captured when Corregidor fell in 1942. The nurses were subsequently transported to the Santo Tomas Internment camp in Manila in the Philippines - which was not liberated until February of 1945. Five Navy nurses were captured on Guam and interned in a military prison in Japan.
What is the ICRC?
During war, the ICRC attempts to protect military prisoners of war, civilians caught in war zones, and wounded or sick service members. An ICRC delegate who witnesses disturbing violations at a jail, hospital, or other facility has the duty to report it to the ICRC, who advise the victim what to do.
Can women serve in the Navy?
And women in the Air Force and Navy can perform in 99 percent of such positions. For example, women in the Navy can now serve on ships, though not on submarines. Women in the Air Force can now fly combat missions.
What is military trauma?
The VA defines military sexual trauma, or MST, as the “psychological trauma, which in the judgment of a VA mental health professional, resulted from a physical assault of a sexual nature, battery of a sexual nature, or sexual harassment which occurred while the veteran was serving on active duty or active duty for training.”.
Where was Jessie de Leon assaulted?
De Leon was sexually assaulted while deployed as a combat medic in Bamburg, Germany by a fellow servicemember. Kelsey Hightower/News21
What are the responsibilities of rural women in Iran?
The rural women of Iran bear the brunt of responsibilities of the agricultural business and economy of the village, which include caring for the livestock, bringing wood, bringing water, mending the tent and weaving carpet without being paid. At the same time, they must do all the housework and serve the family.
How many women have been executed in Iran?
In December 2019, alone, six women were executed by the regime in various Iranian prisons — the mullahs have executed over 100 women since the so-called moderate President Hassan Rouhani took office in 2013. And many more women are currently awaiting execution in prison — some of these women, mostly mothers who have children.
Which country has the highest number of women executed?
Iran, in fact, is the world’s top record holder of the executions of women according to the Women’s Committee of the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI). As per the NCRI, many of the women executed by the mullahs’ regime are themselves victims of domestic violence against women and have acted in self-defense.
What is the legal age to marry in Iran?
The legal age of marriage for girls in Iran is 13 and the father is allowed to wed his daughter even below this age with the approval a court judge. Last year, the mullahs’ parliament turned down the proposed bill to increase the age of marriage for girls to 16, saying it contradicted religious teachings.
What is forced early marriage?
Forced-early marriages for girls, as in the rest of the Islamic world where the sharia prevails, is another common factor in Iranian villages. In some cases, poor families force their daughters to quit school to get married.
How old are girls when they become pregnant?
Most of them become pregnant get pregnant at age 13 or 14 and give birth to their children one after the other. They sometimes give birth to as many as 12 children and become physically worn-out in young age.
Why are women sent to jail?
Women have been sent to jail for publicly speaking out in favor of equal rights for women. Because the government wants Iran’s population to grow, it’s even moving to ban voluntary medical procedures women can undergo to avoid becoming pregnant.
Who is the leader of Iran?
But much of the country’s power lies with Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Iran’s supreme leader. Khamenei’s office oversees Iran’s military, judicial courts, and the media.
Why was Ghoncheh Ghavami arrested?
In fact, Ghoncheh Ghavami, 25, a dual Iranian-British national, was arrested when she tried to attend a volleyball game in Tehran. Police are often posted around stadiums, in part to keep women out. Convincing Iran to allow women to watch sports would be an important initial step toward ensuring that women – and others – enjoy ...
Who is Jason Rezaian?
Jason Rezaian, an Iranian-American correspondent for the Washington Post, smiles as he attends a presidential campaign of President Hassan Rouhani on April 11, 2013 in Tehran, Iran. © 2013 Associated Press. Across the board, Iran’s human rights situation is dire.
Do women in Iran wear headscarfs?
Women in Iran are forced to wear the hijab, the headscarf worn by some Muslim women, in public. This even applies to young schoolgirls, who are required to wear the head covering to attend elementary school. Moreover, married women can’t even leave the country without their husband’s permission. In fact, in September the captain ...
Is Iran a jailer?
Iran is one of the world’s biggest jailers of journalists, bloggers and social media activists, says Reporters Without Borders. It’s the kind of place where even a Facebook post could land someone in jail. Iran has unfairly imprisoned the Washington Post correspondent, Jason Rezaian , who is still behind bars.
Does Iran have a nuclear program?
This means that Iran has agreed to limit its nuclear program in exchange for other countries lifting sanctions, which limit Iran’s trade and hurt its economy. Now that the nuclear deal is done, Human Rights Watch believes the rest of the world should pressure Iran to reform and treat all of its citizens with dignity.
How many Christians were in Iraq in 2003?
In 2003, before the US invasion of Iraq, there were an estimated 1.2 million Christians living there. Today, that number is less than 250,000 — an eighty percent drop in less than two decades.
What is the Iraqi constitution?
The way the Iraqi constitution was drafted after the US invasion does acknowledge the right of religious minorities to live in Iraq, but it establishes Islam as the official religion. With that comes practicalities about how Christians are identified. kids of mixed marriages, or children of rape cross religious lines.
Who is Emma Green?
Emma Green is a staff writer at The Atlantic covering policy, politics and religion. We kick off discussing the history of Christianity before having a broader conversation about the causes and consequences of the fact that a religious minority is fleeing Iraq in droves. The plight of Iraq’s Christians has key geo-political consequences as well as ...
What is the northern region of Iraq?
The northern region of Iraq is in a hot neighbourhood. To the East you have Iran, to the West you have Syria, to the North you have the Kurdish independence region, and to the South you have Baghdad. When the US looks at this, they not only see a country they want to retain as an ally against Iran, but they see this swath of territory that it has had a large military presence in that they do not want to fall to American enemies. One theory is that there is a clear dotted line between the sense that the US has an obligation to stabilize religious minorities because of our commitment to religious freedom and the sense that the stability of these populations is a bulwark against the rise of extremist forces and regimes that the US perceives to be its enemies.
Will Christianity survive in Iraq?
There is an inflection point about whether Christianity will survive in Iraq. This is sad because of history and culture, but it is tragic largely because it is a test of how thoroughly of the ideals of a democratic Middle East have not been put into place. The inability of countries to sustain diversity and to allow religious minorities to thrive alongside a majoritarian population is a test of its cultural and political will to sustain this commitment to difference and governance. The story is big historically and huge politically for our understanding of what will come next in these countries that are squeezing out their minority religious populations.
Overview
Women's prisons
OWFI has set up an observation group of activists, directed by Dalal Jumaa, which focuses its action on the defense of the rights of women in prison and in police detention. It has notably obtained authorization to regularly visit the Khadidimya prison, in Baghdad, and to denounce the detention conditions: rapes during interrogations, poor treatment, and the presence of children in the cells. OWFI has taken part in negotiations with the municipality of Bagdad to open a daycare …
Historical background
During the seventh century the lamas as a part of their conquest were fighting the Persians, who were defeated. Doreen Ingrams, the author of The Awakened: Women in Iraq, stated it was a time when women's help was needed. In particular, a woman called Amina bint Qais "at the age of seventeen was the youngest woman to lead a medical team in one of these early battles." After their victory, the Arabs that began ruling Mesopotamia named that country Iraq. During the Abbas…
Education
Iraq established an education system in 1921 and by the 1970s education became public and free at all levels. Despite education being free until 1970, women had lower literacy rates than men on average. Girls possessed low literacy rates because there were not enough schools to instruct them even though the Iraqi government made education mandatory for everyone. Furthermore, women were required to have completed a basic education to vote in 1957. A census conducte…
Women's rights
With an estimated population of 22,675,617, Iraq is a male dominated society. Although there are many classes and castes within the culture, the official languages of Iraq are Arabic and Kurdish.
On International Women's Day, 8 March 2011, a coalition of 17 Iraqi women's rights groups formed the National Network to Combat Violence Against Women in Iraq.
The Organization of Women's Freedom in Iraq (OWFI) is another Non-governmental organizationc…
Marriage
By law, a woman has to be eighteen years or older to get married. Marriage and family are necessities for economic needs, social control and mutual protection within the family.
Divorce is a very common practice in Iraq.
Legal system
The Iraqi Constitution of 2005 states that Islam is the main source of legislation and laws must not contradict Islamic provisions. The family law is discriminatory towards women, particularly with regard to divorce, child custody, and inheritance. In a court of law, a woman's testimony is worth in some cases half of that of a man, and in some cases it is equal.
In March 2008 an Iraqi 17-year-old girl was violently murdered by her father and two older brothe…
Crimes against women
Female genital mutilation was an accepted part of Sorani speaking Kurdish culture in Iraq, including Erbil and Sulaymaniyah. A 2011 Kurdish law criminalized FGM practice in Iraqi Kurdistan and law was accepted four years later. MICS reported in 2011 that in Iraq, FGM was found mostly among the Kurdish areas in Erbil, Sulaymaniyah and Kirkuk, giving the country a national pre…