NEWS: UPCOMING IRAQI WOMEN’S CONFERENCE, NEW WOMEN’S CENTERS AND ONGOING WORKSHOPS FOR WOMEN

October 3, 2003 – (Information received from Lesley Abdela, Shevolution/Eyecatcher Associates, in Iraq) There is a big Women’s Conference in Hilla on 4,5,6,7 October. Paul Bremer (the US Civilian Administrator who runs Iraq) is coming to open it. Women from across the 5 governorates in this region will be there.

Yesterday a new women’s center was opened here in Hilla by the Governor and the Senior US civilian here. It has a theatre, exercise bikes a room full of computers for women to learn computer skills and other small meeting room.

The US are funding women’s centres across the 5 Governorates in this area!

These women are no shrinking violets. One woman stood up in the middle of the Governor’s speech and told him to stop using Baathist vocabulary!

South Central Iraq’s 6 governorates have the largest share of the Iraqi population and will be where any election will be won or lost. Over 60% of
the population are women. There are reputedly 150,000 dead in mass graves in Hilla (a city of 300,000 population) - most people I meet have had at least one close relative killed or tortured at some point by the regime.

The 40 relatives of the Governor killed and his brother was apparently beheaded in front of him.

There is a huge amount happening in this region of South Central Iraq on women and democracy and women in civil society. I am running workshops on political participation every day with groups of women around the governorates in this South Central Area. Yesterday I was in the religious city of Kerbala running workshops on constitutions and participatory democracy with a group of women who were engineers, scientists, sports teachers, pharmacists etc. All were covered in black head to foot and a couple of them had their faces fully covered by a black veil too. The veils were lifted once our bodyguards left the room. I was advised by my Iraqi assistant linguistics University teacher Hammida to wear a long skirt and drape a scarf over my head. 5 years ago at 22 years old she became convinced she should dress in full the full-length black traditional dress of Muslims in this area, including covering her hair.

To contact Lesley Abdela in Iraq, email lesleyabdela@hotmail.com