IRAQ: Women demand presence in newly-formed government

BAGHDAD, 23 April (IRIN) - Women must be fairly represented in the newly-formed government and be given at least one key position in the cabinet, an Iraqi women's group said at a recent conference.

"We demand that one of the prime minister's four deputies is a woman," Leila Abdul-Latif, former minister of municipality and public works, said at a press conference held on Saturday in Baghdad's heavily fortified Green Zone. "We call upon politicians to choose qualified women who can represent Iraq and activate the role of women in decision-making posts."

Baskal Esho, a Christian activist and former minister of displacement and migration, said "All Iraqi women reject being marginalised; they're capable and qualified enough to serve society regardless of their ethnic, religious and political backgrounds."

Safia al-Suhail, a secular Shiite legislator, pointed out that Iraqi women had shared past sufferings with their male compatriots. "We're partners in this country as we were during the struggle against the Saddam Hussein regime," said al-Suhail. "Men didn't struggle and suffer alone â?? we also paid."

Under the national constitution, approved in October of last year, Iraqi women are guaranteed basic legal rights, such as voting and property ownership, although there is some concern that the constitutionally established role of Islam might roll back some of these freedoms. At present women occupy 67 parliamentary seats out of 275, as the constitution stipulates that 25 percent of parliamentary seats be held by women.
http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/news...213a08e19b.htm

A taste of democracy......there's no turning back now!:thumbsup:

Women should be allowed to vote but I don't agree about a woman being one of the PM's deputy..no way.

There is reports however of militant islamic groups going round the South of the country trying to intimedate women into following the sharia dress code ie Burkkas...............There have also ben reports on channel 4 news (uk) odf death militant islamic death squads operatind in the south as well.
This i have picked up from UK news.

I dont think its all good......but the Kurdish North is making bigger leaps to true democratic freedom

peace rips