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<h1><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126064909/http://gorillasguides.com/">Gorilla’s Guides</a></h1> <h2>“The only thing these sand niggers understand is force and I’m about to introduce them to it.”</h2> <div id="search"><form method="get" id="searchform" action="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126064909/http://gorillasguides.com/"> <div><input type="text" value="" name="s" id="s"/> <input type="submit" id="searchsubmit" value="Search"/> </div> </form> </div> </div> <hr/> <div id="content" class="span-13 append-1"> <div class="post clearfix" id="post-12430"> <div class="postmetadata"><span class="comments"><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126064909/http://gorillasguides.com/2011/02/21/%d8%a7%d9%84%d8%b9%d8%b1%d8%a7%d9%82-%d8%a7%d9%84%d9%85%d9%88%d8%a7%d8%b7%d9%86%d9%88%d9%86-%d9%85%d9%86-%d8%a7%d9%84%d8%b4%d8%b1%d8%a7%d8%a6%d8%ad-%d8%a7%d9%84%d9%85%d8%b3%d8%aa%d8%b6%d8%b9%d9%81/#respond" title="Comment on العراق: المواطنون من الشرائح المستضعفة في خطر | Human Rights Watch">No Comments</a></span> Posted on February 21st, 2011 by Um Thalit</div> <h3><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126064909/http://gorillasguides.com/2011/02/21/%d8%a7%d9%84%d8%b9%d8%b1%d8%a7%d9%82-%d8%a7%d9%84%d9%85%d9%88%d8%a7%d8%b7%d9%86%d9%88%d9%86-%d9%85%d9%86-%d8%a7%d9%84%d8%b4%d8%b1%d8%a7%d8%a6%d8%ad-%d8%a7%d9%84%d9%85%d8%b3%d8%aa%d8%b6%d8%b9%d9%81/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent Link to العراق: المواطنون من الشرائح المستضعفة في خطر | Human Rights Watch">العراق: المواطنون من الشرائح المستضعفة في خطر | Human Rights Watch</a></h3> <p class="postmetadata">Category: <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126064909/http://gorillasguides.com/category/human-rights/" title="View all posts in Human Rights" rel="category tag">Human Rights</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126064909/http://gorillasguides.com/category/iraq/" title="View all posts in News" rel="category tag">News</a>, Tags: <a 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href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126064909/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/political-parties/" rel="tag">political parties</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126064909/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/sectarian-violence/" rel="tag">sectarian violence</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126064909/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/squatter-settlements/" rel="tag">squatter settlements</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126064909/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/torture/" rel="tag">Torture</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126064909/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/tunisia/" rel="tag">Tunisia</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126064909/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/violence/" rel="tag">violence</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126064909/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/violence-against-women/" rel="tag">violence against women</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126064909/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/vulnerable-citizens/" rel="tag">vulnerable citizens</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126064909/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/womens-rights/" rel="tag">Women's Rights</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126064909/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/yazidi/" rel="tag">yazidi</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126064909/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/%d8%a8%d8%a7%d9%84%d9%85%d8%b3%d9%8a%d8%ad%d9%8a%d9%8a%d9%86/" rel="tag">بالمسيحيين</a></p> <div class="entry" dir="rtl" align="right"> <div dir="rtl" align="right"> <blockquote> <p><strong>النساء والصحفيون والمحتجظون والجماعات المهمشة يواجهون المخاطر بعد 8 سنوات من الغزو</strong></p> <p>بيروت، 21 فبراير/شباط 2011) – قالت هيومن رايتس ووتش في تقرير أصدرته اليوم إن حقوق المواطنين الأكثر استضعافاً وعرضة للخطر، لا سيما النساء والمحتجزين، يتم انتهاكها بشكل متكرر مع الإفلات من العقاب. أجرت هيومن رايتس ووتش بحوثها في سبع مدن في شتى أنحاء العراق أثناء عام 2010 وانتهت إلى أنه مع استمرار العنف والجريمة في العراق، فإن انتهاكات حقوق الإنسان تقع بوفرة.</p> <p>تقرير "<a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126064909/http://www.hrw.org/node/95608" class="external" target="_blank">عند مفترق الطرق: حقوق الإنسان في العراق بعد ثماني سنوات من الغزو بقيادة الولايات المتحدة</a>" الذي جاء في 102 صفحة يدعو الحكومة إلى حماية حقوق الجماعات والفئات المستضعفة وإلى تعديل قانون العقوبات وجميع القوانين الأخرى التي تميز ضد النساء وتخرق الحق في حرية التعبير. ويدعو التقرير أيضاً بغداد إلى فتح تحقيقات نزيهة ومستقلة في جميع مزاعم الإساءات بحق المحتجزين والأقليات والصحفيين.</p> <p>وقال جو ستورك، نائب المدير التنفيذي لقسم الشرق الأوسط وشمال أفريقيا في هيومن رايتس ووتش: "بعد ثماني سنوات من الغزو الأمريكي، فالحياة في العراق تتدهور بالنسبة للنساء والأقليات، بينما الصحفيون والمحتجزون يواجهون انتهاكات حقوقية جسيمة. اليوم يقف العراق على مفترق الطرق – إما أن يتبنى مبادئ إجراءات التقاضي السليمة وحقوق الإنسان، وإلا فهو في خطر التحول إلى دولة بوليسية".</p> <p>الغزو في عام 2003 وما تلاه من فوضى أدى لتكبد المدنيين العراقيين خسائر فادحة. تدهور الوضع الأمني أدى لعودة بعض ممارسات العدالة التقليدية والتطرف السياسي المدفوع بتوجهات دينية، مما كان له أثر سلبي على حقوق النساء، داخل البيت وخارجه، كما تبينت هيومن رايتس ووتش.</p> <p>روجت الميليشيات لأفكار كراهية المرأة واستهدفت النساء والفتيات بالاغتيالات والترهيب لإبعادهن عن المشاركة في الحياة العامة. وبشكل متزايد تتعرض النساء والفتيات للوقوع ضحايا في بيوتهن نفسها، بسبب جملة من التعديات المتصورة للمرأة على شرف الأسرة أو المجتمع. وتنتشر ظاهرة الإتجار بالنساء والفتيات داخل وخارج العراق لأغراض الاستغلال الجنسي.</p> <p>وقال جو ستورك: "تحملت النساء والفتيات العراقيات أكبر الأعباء في هذا النزاع وما تلاه من انعدام للأمان". وتابع: "بالنسبة للنساء العراقيات المتمعات ببعض أعلى مستويات تدابير الحماية الحقوقية والمشاركة الاجتماعية في المنطقة قبل عام 1991، كان ما حدث غصة مريرة في الحلق يصعب تحملها".</p> <p>رغم التحسن الذي طرأ على الحالة الأمنية منذ عام 2008 مما أدى لانخفاض معدلات قتل العاملين بالإعلام، إلا أن الصحافة مهنة خطيرة في العراق، على حد قول هيومن رايتس ووتش. قام متطرفون ومعتدون مجهولون بقتل صحفيين وتفجير مقارهم ومكاتبهم. وتزايد تعرض الصحفيين للمضايقات والترهيب والتهديد والاحتجاز والاعتداءات البنية من قبل قوات الأمن التابعة للمؤسسات الحكومية والأحزاب السياسية. كما يسارع المسؤولون الحكوميون بمقاضاة الصحفيين ومطبوعاتهم إذا كتبوا عنهم موضوعات انتقادية.</p> <p>وقال جو ستورك: "مع مشاهدة ما حدث في شوارع مصر وتونس، على الحكومة العراقية أن تتخذ خطوات ملموسة من أجل حماية حرية التعبير".</p> <p>كما انتهت هيومن رايتس ووتش إلى أن المحققين العراقيين لجأوا بشكل ممنهج إلى الإساءة للمحتجزين، بغض النظر عن طائفتهم، وفي العادة يسيئون إليهم لانتزاع الاعترافات. ورغم معرفة وجود خطر التعذيب الواضح، فإن السلطات الأمريكية أحالت آلاف المحتجزين العراقيين إلى الحبس طرف السلطات العراقية، التي استمرت في ممارسة التعذيب القائم منذ عصر صدام حسين وقوات التحالف من بعده.</p> <p>بينما أصدرت الحكومة قوانين لحماية بعض جماعاتها المُهمشة، وفي بعض الحالات بادرت بفتح برامج مساعدات هامة، فإنها ما زالت تخفق في حماية بعض أضعف الفئات من المواطنين العراقيين، على حد قول هيومن رايتس ووتش. الأشخاص النازحون داخلياً والأقليات وأصحاب الإعاقات من بين الأكثر عرضة للخطر. الكثير من المساعدات الحكومية وبرامج الحماية لا تعمل بكامل طاقتها أو غير كافية لبلوغ أكثر من يحتاجون إليها.</p> <p>وقالت هيومن رايتس ووتش إن هناك أكثر من 1.5 مليون عراقي فروا من أحيائهم السكنية مع تمزيق العنف الطائفي لتجمعاتهم السكنية في عامي 2006 و2007. الآلاف من النازحين داخلياً يعيشون حالياً في بنايات مهجورة استوطنوها، دون توفر الضروريات الأساسية لديهم، مثل المياه النظيفة والكهرباء والصرف الصحي، على حد قول هيومن رايتس ووتش.</p> <p>أما الجماعات المسلحة التي تتبنى الأفكار المتطرفة فقامت بتنفيذ هجمات على الأقليات، أدت إلى ضرر بالغ لحق بجماعات من السكان الأصليين في العراق، وأجبرت الآلاف على الفرار إلى خارج البلاد دون نية للعودة. أخفقت الحكومة أيضاً في وقف الهجمات التي استهدفت الصابئة المندائيين والمسيحيين والأزديين، بالإضافة إلى جماعات أخرى.</p> <p>واكتشفت هيومن رايتس ووتش أن الآلاف ممن بُترت أطرافهم والجرحى خلال سنوات النزاع المسلح وجدوا أنفسهم وقد تحولوا إلى هامش المجتمع، غير قادرين على العثور على عمل، أو الحصول على رعاية طبية ملائمة، أو حتى الحصول على أطراف صناعية جديدة ومقاعد متحركة.</p> <p>وقال جو ستورك: "مستقبل العراق كمجتمع ديمقراطي يعتمد على احترام حقوق الإنسان الأساسية، سوف يستند إلى حد كبير على ما إذا كانت السلطات العراقية ستدافع بالشكل الكافي عن هذه الحقوق" وتابع: "حتى تعمل على تحقيق هذا، على السلطات العراقية تشكيل نظام عدالة جنائية موثوق يفي بالمعايير الدولية الخاصة بالتعذيب وحرية التعبير والعنف ضد المرأة وغيرها من الجماعات المستضعفة في المجتمع العراقي".</p> </blockquote> <p><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126064909/http://www.hrw.org/en/news/2011/02/21" class="external" target="_blank">العراق: المواطنون من الشرائح المستضعفة في خطر | Human Rights Watch</a></p> </p></div> </div> </div> <hr/> <div class="post clearfix" id="post-12428"> <div class="postmetadata"><span class="comments"><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126064909/http://gorillasguides.com/2011/02/21/iraq-vulnerable-citizens-at-risk-human-rights-watch/#respond" title="Comment on Iraq: Vulnerable Citizens at Risk | Human Rights Watch">No Comments</a></span> Posted on February 21st, 2011 by Um Thalit</div> <h3><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126064909/http://gorillasguides.com/2011/02/21/iraq-vulnerable-citizens-at-risk-human-rights-watch/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent Link to Iraq: Vulnerable Citizens at Risk | Human Rights Watch">Iraq: Vulnerable Citizens at Risk | Human Rights Watch</a></h3> <p class="postmetadata">Category: <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126064909/http://gorillasguides.com/category/human-rights/" title="View all posts in Human Rights" rel="category tag">Human Rights</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126064909/http://gorillasguides.com/category/iraq/" title="View all posts in News" rel="category tag">News</a>, Tags: <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126064909/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/amputees/" rel="tag">Amputees</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126064909/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/armed-conflict/" rel="tag">armed conflict</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126064909/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/christians/" rel="tag">Christians</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126064909/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/crime/" rel="tag">Crime</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126064909/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/detainees/" rel="tag">detainees</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126064909/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/egypt/" rel="tag">Egypt</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126064909/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/extremists/" rel="tag">Extremists</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126064909/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/freedom-of-speech/" rel="tag">freedom of speech</a>, <a 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rel="tag">journalism</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126064909/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/justice-system/" rel="tag">justice system</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126064909/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/middle-east/" rel="tag">Middle East</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126064909/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/militia/" rel="tag">Militia</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126064909/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/militias/" rel="tag">Militias</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126064909/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/minority-communities/" rel="tag">minority communities</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126064909/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/police-state/" rel="tag">Police State</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126064909/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/political-extremism/" rel="tag">political extremism</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126064909/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/political-parties/" rel="tag">political parties</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126064909/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/sectarian-violence/" rel="tag">sectarian violence</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126064909/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/squatter-settlements/" rel="tag">squatter settlements</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126064909/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/torture/" rel="tag">Torture</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126064909/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/tunisia/" rel="tag">Tunisia</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126064909/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/violence/" rel="tag">violence</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126064909/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/violence-against-women/" rel="tag">violence against women</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126064909/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/vulnerable-citizens/" rel="tag">vulnerable citizens</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126064909/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/womens-rights/" rel="tag">Women's Rights</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126064909/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/yazidi/" rel="tag">yazidi</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126064909/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/%d8%a8%d8%a7%d9%84%d9%85%d8%b3%d9%8a%d8%ad%d9%8a%d9%8a%d9%86/" rel="tag">بالمسيحيين</a></p> <div class="entry" dir="rtl" align="right"> <blockquote><p>The rights of Iraq’s most vulnerable citizens, especially women and detainees, are routinely violated with impunity, Human Rights Watch said in a report released today. Human Rights Watch conducted research in seven cities across Iraq during 2010 and found that, beyond the country’s continuing violence and crimes, human rights abuses are commonplace.</p> <p> <div style="border-right: black 1px solid; padding-right: 5px; border-top: black 1px solid; padding-left: 5px; float: right; padding-bottom: 5px; margin: 5px 0px 5px 15px; border-left: black 1px solid; width: 300px; padding-top: 5px; border-bottom: black 1px solid"> <p><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126064909/http://www.hrw.org/en/reports/2011/02/02/crossroads" class="external" target="_blank">Read the Report</a> <br/>ISBN: 1-56432-736-1</p> <p><strong><font size="3">Get the Report</font></strong></p> <ul> <li><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126064909/http://www.hrw.org/sites/default/files/reports/iraq0211W.pdf" class="external" target="_blank">Download this report</a> (PDF, 708.78 KB)</li> <li><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126064909/http://www.kintera.org/site/apps/ka/ec/product.asp?c=dhLOK6PGLoF&b=3444291&en=jkLOI1PLKjKTL6OQJ9KMKbMULnKZI8ONJbKVKgP0JuLbG&ProductID=903595" class="external" target="_blank">Purchase this report in print</a></li> </ul></div> <p> The 102-page report, "<a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126064909/http://www.hrw.org/node/95606" class="external" target="_blank">At a Crossroads: Human Rights in Iraq Eight Years After the US-led Invasion</a>," calls on the government to protect the rights of vulnerable groups and to amend its penal code and all other laws that discriminate against women and violate freedom of speech. The report also urges Baghdad to open independent and impartial investigations into all allegations of abuse against detainees, minorities, and journalists.</p> <p>"Eight years after the US invasion, life in Iraq is actually getting worse for women and minorities, while journalists and detainees face significant rights violations," said Joe Stork, deputy Middle East director at Human Rights Watch. "Today, Iraq is at a crossroads – either it embraces due process and human rights or it risks reverting to a police state."</p> <p>The 2003 invasion and its resulting chaos have exacted an enormous toll on Iraq’s citizens. The deterioration of security has promoted a return to some traditional justice practices and religiously inflected political extremism, which have had a deleterious effect on women’s rights, both inside and outside the home, Human Rights Watch found.</p> <p>Militias promoting misogynist ideologies have targeted women and girls for assassination, and intimidated them to keep them from participating in public life. Increasingly, women and girls are victimized in their own homes for a variety of perceived transgressions against family or community honor. Trafficking in women and girls in and out of the country for sexual exploitation is widespread.</p> <p>"The women and girls of Iraq have borne the biggest brunt of this conflict and resulting insecurity," Stork said. "For Iraqi women, who enjoyed some of the highest levels of rights protection and social participation in the region before 1991, this has been an enormously bitter pill to swallow."</p> <p>Although improvements in security since 2008 have reduced the murder rate of media workers, journalism is a hazardous occupation in Iraq, Human Rights Watch said. Extremists and unidentified assailants kill journalists and bomb their offices. Increasingly, journalists find themselves harassed, intimidated, threatened, detained, and physically assaulted by security forces attached to government institutions or political parties. Senior politicians are quick to sue journalists and their publications for unflattering articles.</p> <p>"Watching what’s happened in the streets of Egypt and Tunisia, the Iraqi government should take meaningful steps to protect freedom of speech," said Stork.</p> <p>Human Rights Watch also found that Iraqi interrogators routinely abuse detainees, regardless of sect, usually to coerce confessions. Despite knowing there was a clear risk of torture, US authorities transferred thousands of Iraqi detainees to Iraqi custodians, who have continued a tradition of torture that was also the case under Saddam Hussein and coalition forces.</p> <p>While the government has passed laws to protect some of its marginalized communities, and in some cases has instituted significant assistance programs, it is still failing some of its most vulnerable citizens, Human Rights Watch said. Internally displaced persons, minorities, and persons with disabilities are among those at risk. Many of the government’s assistance or protection programs are sub-operational or are insufficient to reach those who need it most.</p> <p>More than 1.5 million Iraqis fled their neighborhoods as sectarian violence tore up their communities in 2006 and 2007. Thousands of internally displaced persons now live in squatter settlements without access to basic necessities such as clean water, electricity, and sanitation, Human Rights Watch said.</p> <p>Armed groups proclaiming intolerant ideologies carry out assaults on minority communities, causing grave harm to Iraq’s indigenous populations and forcing thousands to flee abroad with no plans to return. The government has failed to stop attacks targeting Sabian Mandaeans, Christians, and Yazidis, among other groups.</p> <p>And the thousands of amputees wounded during years of armed conflict find themselves relegated to the margins of society, unable to find work, access adequate medical care, or even to obtain new prostheses and wheelchairs, Human Rights Watch found.</p> <p>"Iraq’s future as a democratic society based on respect for fundamental human rights will in large part depend on whether Iraqi authorities will adequately defend those rights," Stork said. "To do so, Iraqi authorities need to establish a credible criminal justice system meeting international standards with respect to torture, free expression, and violence against women and other vulnerable people in Iraq’s society."</p> </blockquote> <p><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126064909/http://www.hrw.org/en/news/2011/02/21/iraq-vulnerable-citizens-risk" class="external" target="_blank">Iraq: Vulnerable Citizens at Risk | Human Rights Watch</a></p> </div> </div> <hr/> <div class="post clearfix" id="post-11891"> <div class="postmetadata"><span class="comments"><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126064909/http://gorillasguides.com/2010/12/08/iraq-displaced-women-still-struggle-for-survival/#respond" title="Comment on IRAQ: Displaced women still struggle for survival">No Comments</a></span> Posted on December 8th, 2010 by Hussein Kareem</div> <h3><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126064909/http://gorillasguides.com/2010/12/08/iraq-displaced-women-still-struggle-for-survival/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent Link to IRAQ: Displaced women still struggle for survival">IRAQ: Displaced women still struggle for survival</a></h3> <p class="postmetadata">Category: <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126064909/http://gorillasguides.com/category/english-articles/" title="View all posts in English Language Articles" rel="category tag">English Language Articles</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126064909/http://gorillasguides.com/category/human-rights/" title="View all posts in Human Rights" rel="category tag">Human Rights</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126064909/http://gorillasguides.com/category/women/" title="View all posts in Women and Children" rel="category tag">Women and Children</a>, Tags: <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126064909/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/children/" rel="tag">Children</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126064909/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/children-domestic-assault/" rel="tag">Children - domestic assault</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126064909/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/dignity/" rel="tag">dignity</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126064909/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/discrimination/" rel="tag">discrimination</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126064909/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/displacement/" rel="tag">displacement</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126064909/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/domestic-violence/" rel="tag">domestic violence</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126064909/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/drinking-water/" rel="tag">drinking water</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126064909/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/food-ration/" rel="tag">food ration</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126064909/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/gender-issues/" rel="tag">Gender Issues</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126064909/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/health/" rel="tag">Health</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126064909/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/international-organization-for-migration/" rel="tag">international organization for migration</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126064909/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/iraqi-women/" rel="tag">iraqi women</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126064909/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/nutrition/" rel="tag">nutrition</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126064909/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/oppression/" rel="tag">Oppression</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126064909/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/refugees/" rel="tag">Refugees</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126064909/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/violence-against-women/" rel="tag">violence against women</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126064909/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/women-social-position-of/" rel="tag">Women -social position of</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126064909/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/women-and-children/" rel="tag">Women and Children</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126064909/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/womens-poverty-neglect-of/" rel="tag">Women's poverty - neglect of</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126064909/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/womens-rights-violations-of/" rel="tag">Women's Rights - violations of</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126064909/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/womens-welfare-neglect-of/" rel="tag">Women's welfare - neglect of</a></p> <div class="entry" dir="rtl" align="right"> <p>BAGHDAD, 7 December 2010 (<a title="IRIN" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126064909/http://www.irinnews.org/report.aspx?ReportID=91310" class="external" target="_blank">IRIN</a>) – Displaced Iraqi female-headed families who have returned home are still experiencing major livelihood challenges, says the International Organization for Migration (IOM). </p> <p>An IOM survey of 1,355 female-headed displaced families who have returned to their places of origin found that 74 percent are struggling to secure adequate nutrition for their families. </p> <p>Delays in receiving subsidized government food rations or lack of some food items in the rations force women to buy food with whatever money they have, adding to their struggle, the <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126064909/http://www.iomiraq.net/library/IOM_di...rts/2010/Female%20Headed%20Households.pdf" class="external" target="_blank">report</a>, issued on 3 December, states. </p> <p>The survey also found that health problems and social norms had prevented nearly 40 percent of them from finding jobs. Of those who are able to work, 71 percent are unemployed. </p> <p>About 40 percent of those surveyed said they depended on relatives, neighbours, NGOs and religious groups to meet their needs. And more than 25 percent had a family member with chronic disease while one in four lacked access to healthcare. </p> <p>"These women have to support their children and elderly family members. Without a steady income, they become reliant on support from whoever can give it but it is not systematic," said Antonio Salanga, IOM’s head of the Baghdad regional hub. </p> <h3>New approach needed </h3> <p>Iraqi activist and former lawmaker Salama Smeisim said a swift and new approach had to be taken by the government, local and international organizations towards female-related issues in Iraq, especially the displaced. </p> <p>“The oppression against women is still continuing in Iraq,” Smeisim told IRIN. “The plight of the displaced women has not been dealt with seriously. They need adequate houses to preserve their dignity, schools for their children, electricity and drinking water.” </p> <p>She said Iraqi women in general, but mainly the displaced, faced a series of challenges, beginning with securing their livelihoods if they headed their families to the hardship in finding work either because of the social norms or discrimination, lack of awareness of their rights and the corruption that prevents government funds from reaching them. </p> <p>“I do believe that we need a special programme to spread awareness among women about their rights and support them on how to start a project that can secure a steady income for their families without relying on anyone,” Smeisim said. </p> <p>The IOM survey also found that domestic violence against women had substantially increased in the past five years due to the country’s unprecedented displacement, with one in five Iraqi women subjected to physical violence and a third to psychological violence. </p> <h3>Political and security turmoil </h3> <p>Mohammed Abdul-Jabbar, a Baghdad-based analyst, said that neglect of women-related programmes was due to the political and security turmoil experienced by the previous governments. </p> <p>“Of course politicians, whether inside or outside the government, were not dealing with women’s issues as one of the urgent needs to [rebuild] the society as they set a list of priorities in the political and security fields,” Abdul-Jabbar said. </p> <p>“It is highly unlikely that any progress could be achieved in this field by the next government as the same problems in the security and political arena still exist and are deep,” he added. </p> <p>Nine months since Iraq held its national elections, no government has been formed as politicians are struggling to reach an agreement to share power and distribute government posts.  </p> <p><strong>Source:</strong> <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126064909/http://www.irinnews.org/report.aspx?ReportID=91310" class="external" target="_blank">IRIN Middle East | IRAQ: Displaced women still struggle for survival | Iraq | Gender Issues | Refugees/IDPs</a></p> </div> </div> <hr/> <div class="post clearfix" id="post-11646"> <div class="postmetadata"><span class="comments"><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126064909/http://gorillasguides.com/2010/10/20/what-the-u-s-undid-for-women-in-iraq-a-qa-with-thoraya-obaid-ips/#respond" title="Comment on What the U.S. Undid for Women in Iraq | A Q&A with Thoraya Obaid | IPS">No Comments</a></span> Posted on October 20th, 2010 by Umm Fatima</div> <h3><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126064909/http://gorillasguides.com/2010/10/20/what-the-u-s-undid-for-women-in-iraq-a-qa-with-thoraya-obaid-ips/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent Link to What the U.S. Undid for Women in Iraq | A Q&A with Thoraya Obaid | IPS">What the U.S. Undid for Women in Iraq | A Q&A with Thoraya Obaid | IPS</a></h3> <p class="postmetadata">Category: <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126064909/http://gorillasguides.com/category/english-articles/" title="View all posts in English Language Articles" rel="category tag">English Language Articles</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126064909/http://gorillasguides.com/category/human-rights/" title="View all posts in Human Rights" rel="category tag">Human Rights</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126064909/http://gorillasguides.com/category/women/" title="View all posts in Women and Children" rel="category tag">Women and Children</a>, Tags: <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126064909/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/human-rights/" rel="tag">Human Rights</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126064909/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/invasion/" rel="tag">invasion</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126064909/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/ips/" rel="tag">IPS</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126064909/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/iraqi-women/" rel="tag">iraqi women</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126064909/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/islam/" rel="tag">Islam</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126064909/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/liberia/" rel="tag">Liberia</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126064909/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/occupation/" rel="tag">occupation</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126064909/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/occupation-of-iraq/" rel="tag">occupation of iraq</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126064909/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/rights-of-women/" rel="tag">rights of women</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126064909/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/role-of-women/" rel="tag">role of women</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126064909/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/saudi-arabia/" rel="tag">Saudi Arabia</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126064909/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/stereotypes/" rel="tag">stereotypes</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126064909/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/thoraya-obaid/" rel="tag">Thoraya Obaid</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126064909/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/un/" rel="tag">U.N.</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126064909/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/unfpa/" rel="tag">UNFPA</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126064909/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/violence-against-women/" rel="tag">violence against women</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126064909/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/wo/" rel="tag">wo</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126064909/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/women-in-war/" rel="tag">Women in war</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126064909/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/womens-rights/" rel="tag">Women's Rights</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126064909/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/womens-rights-violations-of/" rel="tag">Women's Rights - violations of</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126064909/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/%d8%a7%d9%84%d8%a5%d8%b3%d9%84%d8%a7%d9%85%e2%80%8e/" rel="tag">الإسلام‎</a></p> <div class="entry" dir="rtl" align="right"> <p><a title="Thoraya_Ahmed_Obaid_captioned by Gorillas Guides, on Flickr" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126064909/http://www.flickr.com/photos/27086036@N02/5099871677/" class="external" target="_blank"><img style="border-right: black 1px solid; border-top: black 1px solid; display: inline; margin: 5px 0px 5px 15px; border-left: black 1px solid; border-bottom: black 1px solid" height="400" alt="Thoraya_Ahmed_Obaid_captioned" src="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126064909im_/http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1158/5099871677_54a4a679e1_o.jpg" width="150" align="right"/></a> <p><b>LONDON, Oct 20, 2010 (<a title="IPS" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126064909/http://www.ipsnews.net/news.asp?idnews=53232" class="external" target="_blank">IPS</a>) – The U.S.-led invasion and then occupation of Iraq brought a sharp setback to the rights of women in that country, UNFPA head Thoraya Obaid tells IPS in an interview.</b> </p> <p>The view that Muslim societies are necessarily backward on the position of women arises from stereotyping, she says. And she speaks of herself as a Muslim woman who does not fit the stereotype. </p> <p>Obaid spoke to IPS Wednesday at the launch of the annual UNFPA report, focused this year on the role of women in peace building. Excerpts from the interview: </p> <p><strong>Q: Is there any evidence that women are better than men at peace building and rebuilding? </strong></p> <p>A: There is evidence that not only in peace building and rebuilding but in other areas as with migrant workers, the priorities for women are usually different. As a result women invest in the family, and during conditions where there is war or natural disaster, you will find that women can even cross borders to be able to keep the family together, and are able to negotiate the safety of their families. So in that context we see that women should be a part of any peace building negotiations. </p> <p><strong>Q: Women can play that role when they have an opportunity, but is there any sign that women are getting more such opportunities? </strong></p> <p>A: Sadly, no. Opportunities are still limited because the recognition that women can play that role is still limited. We are saying that if we invest enough in women, in their education, in empowering them to have a voice, to raise their voice, and if we recognise their voices and find space for them to play a role in peace building, then they will do a good job. </p> <p>Liberia is a very good example of that. It’s women who walk the streets saying we want peace. But society still does not recognise the real value of women, and that is a real problem. </p> <p><strong>Q: There is a widespread perception that the position of women in Islamic societies is low. But in Iraq women had many rights, that vanished after the Americans came along. </strong></p> <p>A: I worked in Iraq for eight years until the invasion of Kuwait. We were there as a part of the Economic Commission for Western Asia, and we worked with women’s groups there at that time, and certainly, by the time we left the Federation of Iraqi Women had put together the best family laws you can get from all the different sects, and also labour laws. But then the invasion came and the whole thing went apart. </p> <p>When the U.S. came in, they went back to the family laws of 1958. That tells you how far they have gone back. What they did was to cancel everything that was previous. And that is not really a good judgment for women. It was quite a bit of difference. </p> <p><strong>Q: How does this square with the perception that left to themselves, Muslim societies are backward, and that the U.S is the progressive one? </strong></p> <p>A: That is a political question in many ways. There are stereotypes of Muslim countries, and Muslim women. I’m a Muslim woman, and I don’t fit that stereotype. There are many like me. I come from Saudi Arabia, and see where I am right now. This is the stereotyping of a people and also of a religion, and as a result assumptions are based on such perceptions. In many ways it is perceptions that hinder Muslim women in many places. </p> <p><strong>Q: Is the U.N. making a difference, or does it just produce reports? </strong></p> <p>A: Look at the report we are putting out on Security Council resolution 1325. This has brought the issue of women as peace makers and peace builders into a higher level of political awareness. As a result, at least 19 countries are putting into place their own plans on how to bring women to end violence against women in wars, conflict and natural disasters, in camps and so on. These studies are important because they mobilise political leaders and I think that is a very important role for the United Nations. </p> <p><strong>Q: What does this report say that is significant and new? </strong></p> <p>A: The new trend we are trying to bring into the discussion about women is the three R’s – Resilience, Renewal, and Redefining roles. Women are always seen as victims. We are saying women are not victims. Women have the resilience, they keep the families together. And with renewal, when we are rebuilding after a crisis, we should not rebuild society as it was before, with all the inequalities and inequities in it, but on a new human rights paradigm that will bring equality. </p> <p><strong>Q: How can the MDGs targets be met in relation to conflicts? </strong></p> <p>A: A part of conflicts is poverty, and poverty brings conflict. So MDG 1 on poverty cannot be achieved if there is no peace and security. Each of the MDGs requires peace and security. </p> <p>And with MDG5 on maternal health, for a long time actors in the humanitarian field did not recognise that women have special needs. In war and natural disasters, they do deliver babies, they do have biological functions that require special attention. There is a need to take care of their integrity and their dignity. So we are looking at MDG 5 because we want women to deliver babies in a clean state, and that they are safe. </p> <p>More importantly [is] that they are protected from violence – when violence takes place, that they are provided with the services that support them but also that perpetrators of violence are brought to justice. Violence against women is part of the MDG5 target on universal access to reproductive health. </p> <p><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126064909/http://www.ipsnews.net/news.asp?idnews=53232" class="external" target="_blank">Q&A: What the U.S. Undid for Women in Iraq – IPS ipsnews.net</a></p> </div> </div> <hr/> <div class="post clearfix" id="post-11145"> <div class="postmetadata"><span class="comments"><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126064909/http://gorillasguides.com/2010/06/26/%d9%85%d8%a4%d8%aa%d9%85%d8%b1-%d8%ad%d9%88%d9%84-%d8%b1%d8%b5%d8%af-%d9%88%d8%aa%d9%88%d8%ab%d9%8a%d9%82-%d8%a7%d9%84%d8%b9%d9%86%d9%81-%d8%b6%d8%af-%d8%a7%d9%84%d9%85%d8%b1%d8%a3%d8%a9-%d9%81%d9%8a/#respond" title="Comment on مؤتمر حول رصد وتوثيق العنف ضد المرأة في البصرة">No Comments</a></span> Posted on June 26th, 2010 by Mohammed Ibn Laith</div> <h3><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126064909/http://gorillasguides.com/2010/06/26/%d9%85%d8%a4%d8%aa%d9%85%d8%b1-%d8%ad%d9%88%d9%84-%d8%b1%d8%b5%d8%af-%d9%88%d8%aa%d9%88%d8%ab%d9%8a%d9%82-%d8%a7%d9%84%d8%b9%d9%86%d9%81-%d8%b6%d8%af-%d8%a7%d9%84%d9%85%d8%b1%d8%a3%d8%a9-%d9%81%d9%8a/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent Link to مؤتمر حول رصد وتوثيق العنف ضد المرأة في البصرة">مؤتمر حول رصد وتوثيق العنف ضد المرأة في البصرة</a></h3> <p class="postmetadata">Category: <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126064909/http://gorillasguides.com/category/human-rights/" title="View all posts in Human Rights" rel="category tag">Human Rights</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126064909/http://gorillasguides.com/category/women/" title="View all posts in Women and Children" rel="category tag">Women and Children</a>, Tags: <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126064909/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/basra/" rel="tag">Basra</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126064909/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/domestic-violence/" rel="tag">domestic violence</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126064909/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/human-rights/" rel="tag">Human Rights</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126064909/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/iraqi-association-for-human-rights/" rel="tag">Iraqi Association for Human Rights</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126064909/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/violence-against-women/" rel="tag">violence against women</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126064909/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/women-domestic-assault/" rel="tag">Women - domestic assault</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126064909/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/womens-rights-violations-of/" rel="tag">Women's Rights - violations of</a></p> <div class="entry" dir="rtl" align="right"> <p dir="rtl" align="right">أقامت الجمعية العراقية لحقوق الإنسان في البصرة، السبت، المؤتمر الختامي لرصد وتوثيق العنف ضد النساء في البصرة، ويستمر لمدة يوم واحد ، بحسب رئيس مجلس إدارة الجمعية. <br/>وأوضح حسين فالح نجم في تصريح نقلته وكالة أصوات العراق أن المؤتمر تضمن عرض معلومات ميدانية للمشروع الذي نفذته الجمعية على مدى عام والخطوات العملية، مع عرض توزيع كتاب تضمن قصصا من الواقع العراقي لنساء معنفات، إضافة إلى عرض فلم وثائقي يرصد تلك الحالات. <br/>وأشار إلى ان المؤتمر يأتي في ختام مشروع بعنوان رصد وتوثيق العنف ضد المرأة امتد على مدى عام كامل منذ عام 1/7/2009 ولحد الآن وينتهي في 30 /6/2010. <br/>وبين نجم أن المشروع يتكون من حلقات متعددة، بدءا من إصدار موقع الكتروني يتم من خلاله نشر ما يتوصل له المشروع. <br/>وأضاف ان الحلقة الأخرى إعداد كادر نسوي عبر 7 ورش كل ورشة لتدريب 20 امرأة ، وبالتالي تم أعداد كادر نسوي يتكون من 140 امرأة ضمن شبكة تقوم برصد حالات العنف ضد المرأة من ثم نشرها ضمن الموقع. <br/>وتأسست الجمعية العراقية لحقوق الإنسان في البصرة عام 2004 وهي إحدى منظمات المجتمع المدني وتضم نحو 500 عضو وتهدف لرصد وتوثيق الانتهاكات، وتلبية الاحتياجات الإنسانية، ونبذ العنف ونشر مفاهيم المصالحة والتسامح والعدالة، بحسب القائمين عليها ومقرها الرئيس في البصرة.</p> </div> </div> <hr/> <div class="post clearfix" id="post-11085"> <div class="postmetadata"><span class="comments"><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126064909/http://gorillasguides.com/2010/06/20/the-plight-of-women-in-northern-iraq-human-rights-watch/#respond" title="Comment on The Plight of Women in Northern Iraq | Human Rights Watch">No Comments</a></span> Posted on June 20th, 2010 by Haleema Al-Azzawi</div> <h3><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126064909/http://gorillasguides.com/2010/06/20/the-plight-of-women-in-northern-iraq-human-rights-watch/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent Link to The Plight of Women in Northern Iraq | Human Rights Watch">The Plight of Women in Northern Iraq | Human Rights Watch</a></h3> <p class="postmetadata">Category: <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126064909/http://gorillasguides.com/category/english-articles/" title="View all posts in English Language Articles" rel="category tag">English Language Articles</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126064909/http://gorillasguides.com/category/human-rights/" title="View all posts in Human Rights" rel="category tag">Human Rights</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126064909/http://gorillasguides.com/category/iraq/" title="View all posts in News" rel="category tag">News</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126064909/http://gorillasguides.com/category/women/" title="View all posts in Women and Children" rel="category tag">Women and Children</a>, Tags: <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126064909/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/female-genital-mutilation/" rel="tag">Female genital mutilation</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126064909/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/fgm/" rel="tag">fgm</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126064909/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/krg/" rel="tag">KRG</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126064909/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/kurdistan/" rel="tag">Kurdistan</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126064909/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/northern-iraq/" rel="tag">northern iraq</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126064909/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/violence-against-women/" rel="tag">violence against women</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126064909/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/women-genital-mutilation-of/" rel="tag">Women - genital mutilation of</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126064909/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/women-social-position-of/" rel="tag">Women -social position of</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126064909/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/women-and-children/" rel="tag">Women and Children</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126064909/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/womens-health-neglect-of/" rel="tag">Women's health - neglect of</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126064909/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/womens-rights/" rel="tag">Women's Rights</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126064909/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/womens-rights-violations-of/" rel="tag">Women's Rights - violations of</a></p> <div class="entry" dir="rtl" align="right"> <p> </p> <blockquote><p>Violence in Iraq may have abated. But in the northern region of Kurdistan, women continue to suffer. A <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126064909/http://www07.grants.gov/search/search.do;jsessionid=BLKQMhMRxv8MT2J1vcG4qrD0QJSnQl8BCTJqFjP1khhjTQ2wTFrt%211129125330?oppId=54695&mode=VIEW%20%20%20" class="external" target="_blank">new report</a> by Human Rights Watch, out this week, calls for a ban on the widespread practice of female circumcision in Kurdistan. </p> <p>Known locally as "xatana" and described as a "harmful traditional practice" by the United Nations, the procedure is brutal and sometimes enforced on girls as young as 3. Typically, the child is taken to the midwife’s house and, while several women hold the girl down, the midwife cuts her clitoris with a sharp razor that is sometimes unclean or used to cut several girls in succession. Girls who hear the screams and try to run away are dragged back for their turn. Most women recall the intense pain for many years.</p> <p>The new report from HRW, "They Took Me and Told Me Nothing: Female Genital Mutilation in Iraqi Kurdistan," examines the complex reasons-cultural, social, and religious-as to why women subject their daughters and other female relatives to this practice.</p> <p>Many women in Kurdistan refer to FGM as "sunnah," an action to strengthen one’s religion. The girls and women told us that when they were young, their relatives would tell them that they must undergo xatana, or the food and water from their hands would be <em>haram</em>-forbidden. A striking number of older women firmly believe that Islam demands this practice.</p> <p>However, the Quran does not mention FGM, nor is it practiced in many countries with a Muslim majority. And many clerics in Iraqi Kurdistan have acknowledged that FGM is not a religious requirement.</p> <p>Sadly, only a few have been courageous enough to take this message public. In 2004, a group of leading Islamic scholars meeting in Egypt to discuss the subject concluded that FGM is not a religious requirement and called on Muslims everywhere to stop the practice.</p> <p>The clerics aren’t the only ones with an important role in halting this practice. The Kurdistan Regional Government needs to take a clear stand. Although the government has vowed to make eliminating violence against women a priority and has taken significant steps, including abolishing a penal code article that reduced penalties for so-called honor crimes, lawmakers have failed to pass a draft law prohibiting FGM. It also has inexplicably delayed a public awareness campaign on FGM and its health consequences.</p> <p>Instead of quietly tolerating this practice that blights the lives of so many girls and women, the government needs to move swiftly to adopt a law to ban FGM, and to begin an awareness campaign that targets men, women and families, clerics, health-care providers, and traditional midwives. The government should also ensure that health-care services, including mental-health services, are available for women who suffer pain and emotional distress as a result of FGM.</p> <p>This is a huge challenge, but the regional government should know that it has an important ally in the United States. Vice President Joe Biden is a strong proponent of combating violence against women, both at home and abroad, and he has longstanding friendships with key players in the Kurdistan Region.</p> <p>And there are other ways the U.S. can help: by passing the <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126064909/http://www.state.gov/r/pa/prs/ps/2010/02/136508.htm%20" class="external" target="_blank">International Violence Against Women Act</a>, which is currently before Congress. This bill would offer American assistance to governments to help curb domestic violence and other forms of gender-based violence, including female genital mutilation.</p> <p>When I was growing up in Kurdistan, a shroud of secrecy concealed the widespread nature of female genital mutilation. I was spared because my mother realized its negative consequences,  but after my father married again, all my sisters by his second wife were cut, and some in my family still believe in the practice.</p> <p>Six years ago, I joined a mobile health team funded by the Association for Crisis Assistance and Development Co-operation, a German nongovernmental organization working in Iraqi Kurdistan. We would travel to remote areas of Kurdistan to visit women in their homes and speak directly to them about health issues.</p> <p>At first, we didn’t talk about FGM directly because the subject was still taboo and it was difficult to start these types of conversations in these socially and religiously conservative places. Instead, we talked to them about general health problems, and in the course of these conversations, the women began to open up. It soon became clear that FGM was the source of many of their physical, emotional, and sexual problems.</p> <p>When I speak to women in the villages about the physical and psychological consequences of FGM, they assure me that they won’t cut their daughters. But, after I leave, I wonder whether they will one day bow to community pressure.</p> <p>Every day, we hear that young girls are still being cut.</p> </blockquote> <p><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126064909/http://www.hrw.org/en/news/2010/06/17/plight-women-northern-iraq" class="external" target="_blank">The Plight of Women in Northern Iraq | Human Rights Watch</a></p> </div> </div> <hr/> <div class="post clearfix" id="post-11077"> <div class="postmetadata"><span class="comments"><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126064909/http://gorillasguides.com/2010/06/17/%d9%87%d9%8a%d9%88%d9%85%d8%a7%d9%86-%d8%b1%d8%a7%d9%8a%d8%aa%d8%b3-%d9%88%d9%88%d8%aa%d8%b4-%d8%aa%d8%b7%d8%a7%d9%84%d8%a8-%d8%a7%d9%82%d9%84%d9%8a%d9%85-%d9%83%d8%b1%d8%af%d8%b3%d8%aa%d8%a7/#respond" title="Comment on هيومان رايتس ووتش" تطالب اقليم كردستان العراق بحظر ختان الاناث">No Comments</a></span> Posted on June 17th, 2010 by Um Thalit</div> <h3><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126064909/http://gorillasguides.com/2010/06/17/%d9%87%d9%8a%d9%88%d9%85%d8%a7%d9%86-%d8%b1%d8%a7%d9%8a%d8%aa%d8%b3-%d9%88%d9%88%d8%aa%d8%b4-%d8%aa%d8%b7%d8%a7%d9%84%d8%a8-%d8%a7%d9%82%d9%84%d9%8a%d9%85-%d9%83%d8%b1%d8%af%d8%b3%d8%aa%d8%a7/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent Link to هيومان رايتس ووتش" تطالب اقليم كردستان العراق بحظر ختان الاناث">هيومان رايتس ووتش" تطالب اقليم كردستان العراق بحظر ختان الاناث</a></h3> <p class="postmetadata">Category: <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126064909/http://gorillasguides.com/category/human-rights/" title="View all posts in Human Rights" rel="category tag">Human Rights</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126064909/http://gorillasguides.com/category/women/" title="View all posts in Women and Children" rel="category tag">Women and Children</a>, Tags: <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126064909/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/female-genital-mutilation/" rel="tag">Female genital mutilation</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126064909/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/fgm/" rel="tag">fgm</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126064909/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/krg/" rel="tag">KRG</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126064909/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/kurdistan/" rel="tag">Kurdistan</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126064909/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/northern-iraq/" rel="tag">northern iraq</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126064909/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/violence-against-women/" rel="tag">violence against women</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126064909/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/women-genital-mutilation-of/" rel="tag">Women - genital mutilation of</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126064909/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/women-social-position-of/" rel="tag">Women -social position of</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126064909/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/women-and-children/" rel="tag">Women and Children</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126064909/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/womens-health-neglect-of/" rel="tag">Women's health - neglect of</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126064909/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/womens-rights/" rel="tag">Women's Rights</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126064909/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/womens-rights-violations-of/" rel="tag">Women's Rights - violations of</a></p> <div class="entry" dir="rtl" align="right"> <p dir="rtl" align="right">دعت منظمة هيومان رايتس ووتش السلطات في إقليم كردستان العراق الى حظر ختان الاناث.وجاء في تقرير نشرته المنظمة  أن هذه الظاهرة منتشرة على نطاق واسع في اقليم كردستان <br/>العراق وتترك اثارا مضرة على الصحة النفسية والجسدية على النساء.ودعت المنظمة حكومة اقليم كردستان الى سن قانون يحظر ختان الاناث الصغيرات في السن والبالغات اللواتي يرفضن الختان.كما طالبت الحكومة الاقليمية بإطلاق حملة توعية تحذر من مخاطر هذه الممارسات.ويعد ختان الاناث امرا نادرا في مناطق العراق الاخرى ولا يعرف سبب انتشاره في المنطقة الكردية التي تتميز ببنية اجتماعية ذات طابع عشائري تقليدي.وليس للختان جذور في الاسلام، لكن بعض رجال الدين الأكراد يرحبون به لاعتقادهم أنه يحد من الغريزة الجنسية لدى الفتيات والنساء.كما انه ليست هناك أرقام واضحة بعدد اللواتي خضعن لعمليات ختان في الاقليم، لكن إحصاءات عديدة تشير الى انها واسعة الانتشار.فقد اظهر مسح اجري مطلع العام الجاري وقامت به وزارة حقوق الانسان في كردستان، ان حوالي 40 في المائة من القتيات والنساء في منطقة جمجمال الواقعة بين مدينتي كروك والسليمانية تعرضن للختان.وكانت دراسة أجرتها جمعية وادي (اهلية ألمانية- عراقية مشتركة)، تناولت منطقة أوسع ممتدة من مدينة إربيل الى مدينتي السليمانية وكركوك، أظهرت أن نسبة الاناث اللواتي تعرضن للختان تصل الى 70 في المئة.وتجرى عملية الختان من قبل نساء غير مؤهلات وفي ظروف غير صحية حيث يتم اقتياد الفتيات من قبل نساء اكبر سنا من افراد الاسرة للخضوع لعملية الختان ومن دون ان يدركن الأمر.وكانت حكومة الاقليم قد اصدرت تعميما عام 2007 حذرت فيه الاشخاص الذين يجرون عمليات الختان وهددتهم بالسجن والعقاب وترافق ذلك مع حملة توعية عن مضار الختان لكن يبدو ان هذه المبادرة قد طواها النسيان ولم يعد لها اثر.وطالبت نادية خليفة التي اعدت التقرير لصالح هيومان رايتس ووتش وحمل عنوان "اخذوني ولم يقولوا شيئا" الحكومة المحلية باتخاذ "اجراءات ملموسة للقضاء على ظاهرة ختان الاناث لان هذه الظاهرة الضارة لن تزول من تلقاء ذاتها".واضافت "ان القضاء على الظاهرة يتطلب ارادة قوية وتصميما من قبل الحكومة الكردية وتوجيه رسالة واضحة الى الرأي العام مفادها ان ظاهرة ختان الاناث لن يتم التغاضي عنها ابدا</p> </div> </div> <hr/> <div class="post clearfix" id="post-8492"> <div class="postmetadata"><span class="comments"><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126064909/http://gorillasguides.com/2010/01/25/iraq-events-of-2009-human-rights-watch/#respond" title="Comment on Iraq Events of 2009 | Human Rights Watch">No Comments</a></span> Posted on January 25th, 2010 by Haleema Al-Azzawi</div> <h3><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126064909/http://gorillasguides.com/2010/01/25/iraq-events-of-2009-human-rights-watch/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent Link to Iraq Events of 2009 | Human Rights Watch">Iraq Events of 2009 | Human Rights Watch</a></h3> <p class="postmetadata">Category: <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126064909/http://gorillasguides.com/category/english-articles/" title="View all posts in English Language Articles" rel="category tag">English Language Articles</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126064909/http://gorillasguides.com/category/human-rights/" title="View all posts in Human Rights" rel="category tag">Human Rights</a>, Tags: <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126064909/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/article-140/" rel="tag">Article 140</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126064909/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/bombings/" rel="tag">Bombings</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126064909/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/camp-ashraf/" rel="tag">Camp Ashraf</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126064909/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/chemical-ali/" rel="tag">Chemical Ali</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126064909/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/death-threats/" rel="tag">Death Threats</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126064909/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/detentions/" rel="tag">Detentions</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126064909/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/female-circumcision/" rel="tag">female circumcision</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126064909/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/female-genital-mutilation/" rel="tag">Female genital mutilation</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126064909/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/fgm/" rel="tag">fgm</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126064909/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/genital-mutilation/" rel="tag">genital mutilation</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126064909/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/health/" rel="tag">Health</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126064909/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/hrw/" rel="tag">HRW</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126064909/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/human-rights/" rel="tag">Human Rights</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126064909/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/human-rights-watch/" rel="tag">Human Rights Watch</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126064909/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/kurdistan/" rel="tag">Kurdistan</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126064909/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/minority-rights/" rel="tag">Minority rights</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126064909/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/northern-iraq/" rel="tag">northern iraq</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126064909/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/religious-minorities/" rel="tag">Religious minorities</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126064909/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/religious-minorities-suppression-of-rights/" rel="tag">Religious minorities - suppression of rights</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126064909/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/turkmen/" rel="tag">Turkmen</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126064909/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/unami/" rel="tag">UNAMI</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126064909/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/%d9%85%d8%b9%d8%b3%d9%83%d8%b1-%d8%a7%d8%b4%d8%b1%d9%81/" rel="tag">معسكر اشرف</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126064909/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/violence/" rel="tag">violence</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126064909/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/violence-against-women/" rel="tag">violence against women</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126064909/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/womens-rights/" rel="tag">Women's Rights</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126064909/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/%d8%a3%d8%b4%d8%b1%d9%81-%d9%85%d8%af%d9%8a%d9%86%d8%a9/" rel="tag">أشرف مدينة</a></p> <div class="entry" dir="rtl" align="right"> <p> </p> <p>Human rights conditions in Iraq remain extremely poor, especially for displaced persons, religious and ethnic minorities, and vulnerable groups such as women and girls, and men suspected of homosexual conduct. Iraq marked the June 30, 2009 withdrawal of United States combat forces from its towns and cities with parades and a national holiday. In the subsequent weeks, violence shook the country as extremists launched multiple attacks in several locations. </p> <p>Serious tensions between the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) and the Iraqi central and provincial governments continued over control of territories lying between the mainly Kurdish- and Arab-inhabited areas in northern Iraq. Escalating conflict there worsened the human rights situation of non-Kurdish and non-Arab minority groups living in these contested areas. </p> <div style="border-right: lightgrey 1px solid; padding-right: 5px; border-top: lightgrey 1px solid; padding-left: 5px; float: right; padding-bottom: 5px; margin: 5px 0px 5px 15px; border-left: lightgrey 1px solid; width: 360px; padding-top: 5px; border-bottom: lightgrey 1px solid"> <h4>Downloadable Resources: </h4> <ul> <li><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126064909/http://www.hrw.org/sites/default/files/related_material/iraq_0.pdf" class="external" target="_blank">World Report Chapter: Iraq</a> </li> </ul> <h4>Related Materials:</h4> <ul> <li><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126064909/http://www.hrw.org/en/reports/2009/08/17/they-want-us-exterminated-0" class="external" target="_blank">"They Want Us Exterminated"</a> </li> <li><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126064909/http://www.hrw.org/en/reports/2009/11/10/vulnerable-ground-0" class="external" target="_blank">On Vulnerable Ground</a> </li> </ul></div> <h3>Political Developments </h3> <p>In January 2009, 14 of Iraq’s 18 governorates held provincial elections (the three governorates comprising the Kurdistan region had their elections in July; no elections were held in the disputed Kirkuk governorate). The participation of more political parties, in particular Sunni Arab parties, resulted in a dramatic change of power in areas where Sunni Arabs had boycotted the 2005 elections, notably in Nineveh governorate. Overall, the election results reflected sectarian divisions. </p> <p>On June 24, 2009, the Kurdistan National Assembly (the regional parliament) passed a draft regional constitution that laid claim to disputed areas, provoking outrage from central government leaders. The KRG insists, in the face of central and provincial government recalcitrance, that the referendum mandated by article 140 of Iraq’s 2005 constitution finally be held (the constitutional deadline was December 31, 2007), confident that the referendum would endorse the incorporation of the disputed areas into the semi-autonomous Kurdish region. </p> <p>Iraqi security forces in July 2009 raided Camp Ashraf, an area controlled for over two decades by several thousand members of an Iranian opposition group, the Mojahedin-e Khalq Organization. The raid, in which the government tried to assert its authority by establishing a police station inside the camp, resulted in the deaths of 11 Camp Ashraf residents, some by gunfire, and dozens injured. The government said it would conduct an investigation into the incident, but as of mid-November it had provided no information about the progress of any investigation or its results. </p> <p>In November Iraq signed the Convention on Cluster Munitions, an international treaty that prohibits the use, production, and transfer of cluster bombs.</p> <h3>Attacks on Civilians and Displacement</h3> <p>Civilians remained the targets of attacks across the country. In the first six weeks following the June 30 withdrawal of US forces from cities to their bases, coordinated bombings and other violence killed more than 700 Iraqis, mainly Shia. On August 19, coordinated truck bombs outside the foreign and finance ministries in Baghdad killed nearly 100 people and wounded more than 600. On October 25, two vehicle bombs, driven by suicide bombers, destroyed three major government buildings, including the Ministry of Justice. That attack, the country’s deadliest in more than two years, killed more than 155 people and wounded over 500. </p> <p>Sunni Arab insurgents appeared to have been responsible for these and other attacks, such as the January and April 2009 bombings of Baghdad’s Kadhimiyya mosque, a major Shia place of worship, killing more than 100 people. The perpetrators also targeted groups of Shia refugees waiting for food rations, children gathering for handouts of candy, religious pilgrimages, weddings, funerals, mosques, and hospitals in Shia areas. Sunni leaders forcefully condemned such attacks, and Shia militias refrained from engaging in widespread reprisal attacks.</p> <p>Displacement caused by sectarian violence continued, but economic pressures and difficulties maintaining legal status in Syria, Jordan, and Egypt induced some refugees to return. The government remained without a workable plan for the return of Iraqis displaced internally or who had fled to neighboring countries, according to the office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees. In Baghdad returnees were seldom able to reclaim their former homes. In rural communities many returnees found their houses destroyed or in complete disrepair, and they lacked access to income and basic services including, water, electricity, and healthcare. With the resurgence of attacks in the latter half of 2009, some returnees reportedly found themselves forcibly displaced again. People mostly returned to neighborhoods or districts under the control of members of their sect; very few families returned to former home areas where they would be in a minority.</p> <h3>Detention Conditions and Torture </h3> <p>Reports continued of widespread torture and other abuse of detainees in detention facilities run by Iraq’s defense and interior ministries and police. Government-run detention facilities struggled to accommodate almost 30,000 detainees, and serious delays in the judicial review of detention exacerbated overcrowding: Some detainees have spent years in custody without charge or trial. The situation worsened in 2009 as the US military transferred detainees to Iraqi custody (more than 1,200 in the first nine months) under the 2008 US-Iraqi security agreement. The US military’s remaining detainee population stood at under 9,000 as of September 2009, from a peak of approximately 26,000 in late 2007. </p> <p>In June 2009 Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki set up an eight-member special committee, composed of representatives from the government’s security ministries as well as human rights and judicial agencies, to investigate allegations of widespread abuse and torture in Iraq’s prisons. As of mid-November the government had provided no information about the progress of any investigation or its results. </p> <h4>Accountability for Past Crimes </h4> <p>In August the Iraqi High Tribunal (IHT) sentenced former deputy prime minister Tariq Aziz and Ali Hassan al-Majid (known as "Chemical Ali") each to seven years in jail for their roles in planning the forced displacement of Kurds from northern Iraq in the late 1980s. The conviction followed a separate 15-year jail sentence that both received in March for the former government’s execution of merchants accused of profiteering under sanctions in 1992. Also in March 2009 the IHT sentenced al-Majid to death for the murder of Shia Muslims in 1999 (he was previously sentenced to death for his role in the 1988 Anfal campaign against the Kurds, and suppression of a Shia uprising after the 1991 Gulf War). </p> <p>In July 2009 a public inquiry was launched in the United Kingdom into the death of Iraqi civilian Baha Mousa while in British custody in Basra in 2003. A post-mortem examination showed that Mousa had at least 93 injuries to his body, including a broken nose and fractured ribs. The inquiry is examining the British military’s treatment of Iraqi detainees, including interrogation techniques.</p> <h3>Gender-Based Violence</h3> <p>Violence against women and girls continues to be a serious problem, with members of insurgent groups and militias, soldiers, and police among the perpetrators. Even in high-profile cases involving police or security forces, prosecutions are rare. Insurgent groups have targeted women who are politicians, civil servants, journalists, and women’s rights activists. They have also attacked women on the street for what they consider "immoral" or "un-Islamic" behavior or dress. "Honor" killings by family members remain a threat to women and girls in Kurdish areas, as well as elsewhere in Iraq. </p> <p>Female genital mutilation is practiced mainly in Kurdish areas of Iraq; reportedly 60 percent of Kurdish women have undergone this procedure, although the KRG claimed that the figures are exaggerated. Girls and women receive conflicting and inaccurate messages from public officials on its consequences. The Kurdistan parliament in 2008 passed a draft law outlawing FGM, but the ministerial decree necessary to implement it, expected in February 2009, was inexplicably cancelled. </p> <h4>Violence against Men Suspected of Homosexual Conduct</h4> <p>In early 2009 a killing campaign against men suspected of being gay, or of not being sufficiently "masculine," erupted. Armed gangs kidnapped men and dumped their mutilated bodies in the garbage or in front of morgues. Men interviewed by Human Rights Watch in April recounted death threats, blackmail, midnight raids by masked men on private homes, and abductions from the streets. The campaign was most intense in Baghdad, but extended to other cities including Kirkuk, Najaf, and Basra.</p> <p>Most survivors and witnesses pointed to Moqtada al-Sadr’s Mahdi army, the largest Shia militia, as the driving force behind the killings. Sadrist mosques and leaders have warned loudly that homosexuality threatens Iraqi life and culture. Some Sunni militias may have joined the violence, competing to show their moral credentials. While there was no accurate tally of the victims, the number may have well been in the hundreds. Iraqi police and security forces did little to investigate or halt the killings. Authorities announced no arrests or prosecutions; it is unlikely that any occurred.</p> <h3>Violence against Minorities</h3> <p>Armed groups continued to persecute ethnic and religious minorities with impunity. After US forces withdrew from Iraqi cities, assailants launched horrific attacks against minority groups: in Nineveh province alone, bombings in four towns and cities killed more than 137 and injured almost 500 from the Yazidi, Shabak, and Turkmen communities. </p> <p>As the conflict intensified between the Arab-dominated central government and the KRG over control of the disputed territories running across northern Iraq from the Iranian to the Syrian borders, minorities found themselves in an increasingly precarious position. Leaders of minority communities complained that Kurdish security forces engaged in arbitrary arrests and detentions, intimidation, and in some cases low-level violence, against minorities who challenged Kurdish control of the disputed territories.</p> <h3>Key International Actors </h3> <p>An agreement signed between the United States and Iraq in 2008 requires a complete US withdrawal-including of non-combat military forces-from Iraq by the end of 2011. Having withdrawn to bases since the end of June 2009, US forces must now seek Iraqi permission to launch operations in the cities. As of October the United States had approximately 120,000 troops in Iraq (down from 160,000-170,000 at the height of the 2007 "surge"). The United Kingdom, the only other country with a significant number of military personnel in Iraq, held a ceremony in April in the city of Basra to mark the official end of the six-year British military mission in Iraq. </p> <p>In August the United Nations Security Council voted to extend the mandate of the UN Assistance Mission for Iraq (UNAMI) for one year. The UNAMI Human Rights Office monitors human rights violations as part of a plan aimed at developing Iraqi mechanisms for addressing past and current abuses.</p> <p><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126064909/http://www.hrw.org/en/node/87714" class="external" target="_blank">Iraq | Human Rights Watch</a></p> </div> </div> <hr/> <div class="post clearfix" id="post-8069"> <div class="postmetadata"><span class="comments"><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126064909/http://gorillasguides.com/2009/12/26/women-struggle-to-find-work/#respond" title="Comment on Women Struggle to Find Work">No Comments</a></span> Posted on December 26th, 2009 by Editors</div> <h3><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126064909/http://gorillasguides.com/2009/12/26/women-struggle-to-find-work/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent Link to Women Struggle to Find Work">Women Struggle to Find Work</a></h3> <p class="postmetadata">Category: <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126064909/http://gorillasguides.com/category/english-articles/" title="View all posts in English Language Articles" rel="category tag">English Language Articles</a>, Tags: <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126064909/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/agriculture/" rel="tag">Agriculture</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126064909/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/divorce/" rel="tag">divorce</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126064909/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/education/" rel="tag">Education</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126064909/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/ngos/" rel="tag">NGOs</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126064909/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/orphans/" rel="tag">Orphans</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126064909/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/poverty-rates/" rel="tag">poverty rates</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126064909/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/violence-against-women/" rel="tag">violence against women</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126064909/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/widows/" rel="tag">Widows</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126064909/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/women-poverty-of/" rel="tag">women - poverty of</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126064909/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/women-social-position-of/" rel="tag">Women -social position of</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126064909/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/women-and-children/" rel="tag">Women and Children</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126064909/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/womens-poverty-neglect-of/" rel="tag">Women's poverty - neglect of</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126064909/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/womens-rights/" rel="tag">Women's Rights</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126064909/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/womens-social-affairs-department/" rel="tag">Women's Social Affairs Department</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126064909/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/womens-support-centre-baghdad/" rel="tag">Women's Support Centre (Baghdad)</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126064909/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/%d8%a7%d9%84%d8%a3%d9%8a%d8%aa%d8%a7%d9%85/" rel="tag">الأيتام</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126064909/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/%d8%a7%d9%84%d8%a7%d9%8a%d8%aa%d8%a7%d9%85/" rel="tag">الايتام</a></p> <div class="entry" dir="rtl" align="right"> <div style="border-right: lightgrey 1px solid; padding-right: 5px; border-top: lightgrey 1px solid; padding-left: 5px; float: right; padding-bottom: 5px; margin: 5px 0px 5px 15px; border-left: lightgrey 1px solid; width: 360px; padding-top: 5px; border-bottom: lightgrey 1px solid"> <p>Unemployment among women said to be impoverishing hundreds of thousands of families. </p> <p>By Hussam al-Saray in Baghdad (ICR No. 317, 24-Dec-09) </p> <p>Hussam al-Saray is an <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126064909/http://www.iwpr.net/" target="_blank" class="external">IWPR</a>-trained journalist in Baghdad. </p> </p></div> <p>After her husband was killed in a car bombing near Baghdad in 2005, 45-year-old Um Hasan supported her five children by collecting empty aluminium cans and selling them to factories. </p> <p>Today, Um Hasan is being trained as a seamstress at the Baghdad-based Women’s Support Centre and receives a government stipend to help her look after her family. </p> <p>"I lost hope of ever finding a job, even as a cleaner, so I came to the centre to get a job in the future," she said. </p> <p>But Um Hasan may face a struggle. Activists and government experts say women’s unemployment is impoverishing hundreds of thousands of families in Iraq. </p> <p>"The situation for women in Iraq is going from bad to worse," said Alaa al-Jibouri, coordinator of the Iraqi Media Network to Combat Violence Against Women and Children. </p> <p>There are no hard statistics on the number of unemployed women in Iraq, but experts warn that the problem is severe. The United Nations reported in March 2009 that women comprise only 17 per cent of Iraq’s workforce, and that one in ten households are headed by women – more than 80 per cent of whom were widows. </p> <p>The UN stressed that illiteracy was a major factor in women’s poor participation in the workforce, with 24 per cent of women and girls above the age of ten unable to read or write. </p> <p>The Iraqi government has registered 270,000 women for welfare benefits, with monthly stipends of 50-100 US dollars, but these figures are even disputed within the government. </p> <p>"We believe that the number of unemployed women might be higher than that," said Bushra al-Hilaly, spokeswoman for the government’s Women’s Social Affairs, WSA, department. </p> <p>"We are trying, with the government, to determine the exact number of unemployed women, but it is slow because we don’t have an up-to-date census," she added. </p> <p>Hilaly said that the WSA, created in 2008 within the labour and social affairs ministry, was an attempt to guarantee the rights of women. </p> <p>“We are establishing new case files for widows, divorced women and the wives of missing soldiers,” she said. “It will be expanded to include all unsupported women and orphans." </p> <p>The WSA has a huge task ahead in assisting unemployed women, experts and international agencies say. As part of International Women’s Day in March, the United Nations Humanitarian Coordinator for Iraq, David Shearer, announced that “a major UN priority for 2009 is to improve conditions for women and girls who have yet to feel more than the full benefits of Iraq’s recovery". </p> <p>The UN also announced that it is partnering with local and international organisations to implement more than 30 programmes to improve women’s lives across every governorate of Iraq. </p> <p>Jibouri says it is common for girls to abandon school at a young age to help their families or make way for male siblings to pursue education. </p> <p>Women are being forced to beg on the streets and collect rubbish for recycling. Some settle for low-paying jobs in agriculture and factories, where they make as little as 35,000 dinars (30 dollars) per week, according to Jibouri’s research. </p> <p>Jibouri argues that the WSA should provide unemployed women with job skills along with the monthly subsistence funds. </p> <p>Longtime women’s rights activist Hanna Edward says her research also indicates that unemployment has risen. </p> <p>"It is also noticeable that the percentage of women working in the countryside is higher than in cities …. where job opportunities for women are so scarce," she said. </p> <p>She also said foreign workers, brought in from south and south-east Asia, are working in many service jobs that might otherwise go to Iraqi women. </p> <p>Some NGOs are attempting to address the problem. </p> <p>The government-backed Women’s Support Centre in Baghdad trains unemployed women – mostly widows – in a range of occupational skills. Supervisor Salma Jabo says that the volunteer-run NGO has classes every other day and that 1,750 women have already graduated. </p> <p>"We help women who don’t have jobs, and usually they don’t have hope. We try to send the message that a woman should support herself. This is the only way to support her children and contribute to society in the process," Jabo said. </p> <p>Source: <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126064909/http://www.iwpr.net/" target="_blank" class="external">IWPR</a>  <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126064909/http://www.iwpr.net/?p=icr&s=f&o=358644&apc_state=henpicr" class="external" target="_blank">Women Struggle to Find Work</a></p> </div> </div> <hr/> <div class="post clearfix" id="post-6459"> <div class="postmetadata"><span class="comments"><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126064909/http://gorillasguides.com/2009/06/07/combating-female-circumcision/#comments" title="Comment on Combating Female Circumcision">1 Comment</a></span> Posted on June 7th, 2009 by Editors</div> <h3><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126064909/http://gorillasguides.com/2009/06/07/combating-female-circumcision/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent Link to Combating Female Circumcision">Combating Female Circumcision</a></h3> <p class="postmetadata">Category: <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126064909/http://gorillasguides.com/category/children/" title="View all posts in Children" rel="category tag">Children</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126064909/http://gorillasguides.com/category/english-articles/" title="View all posts in English Language Articles" rel="category tag">English Language Articles</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126064909/http://gorillasguides.com/category/health-crisis-iraq/" title="View all posts in Health" rel="category tag">Health</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126064909/http://gorillasguides.com/category/human-rights/" title="View all posts in Human Rights" rel="category tag">Human Rights</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126064909/http://gorillasguides.com/category/women/" title="View all posts in Women and Children" rel="category tag">Women and Children</a>, Tags: <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126064909/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/features/" rel="tag">Features</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126064909/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/female-circumcision/" rel="tag">female circumcision</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126064909/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/female-genital-mutilation/" rel="tag">Female genital mutilation</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126064909/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/fgm/" rel="tag">fgm</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126064909/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/iraqi-kurdistan/" rel="tag">Iraqi kurdistan</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126064909/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/iwpr/" rel="tag">IWPR</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126064909/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/krg/" rel="tag">KRG</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126064909/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/kurdistan/" rel="tag">Kurdistan</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126064909/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/northern-iraq/" rel="tag">northern iraq</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126064909/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/violence-against-women/" rel="tag">violence against women</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126064909/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/women-genital-mutilation-of/" rel="tag">Women - genital mutilation of</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126064909/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/women-social-position-of/" rel="tag">Women -social position of</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126064909/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/womens-health-neglect-of/" rel="tag">Women's health - neglect of</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126064909/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/womens-rights/" rel="tag">Women's Rights</a></p> <div class="entry" dir="rtl" align="right"> <p>Activist describes challenges facing those trying to end the controversial practice in Iraqi Kurdistan. </p> <p>I became an activist to stop female genital mutilation last year after reading a shocking survey from a secondary school in Rania, a town in Sulaimaniyah province. Every single one of the girls in the school reported that their genitals had been cut. </p> <p>Female genital mutilation is an epidemic in northern Iraq, particularly in remote and rural areas. In villages, it is a common practice frequently carried out in unsanitary conditions by women without medical training. They slice the clitoris of a young girl, spreading ashes on the cut to numb the pain. </p> <p>Through my work with Wadi, an international rights organisation campaigning against the practice in Iraqi Kurdistan, I have travelled to 84 towns and villages to raise awareness about the harmful effects of female genital mutilation. </p> <div style="border-right: lightgrey 1px solid; padding-right: 5px; border-top: lightgrey 1px solid; padding-left: 5px; float: right; padding-bottom: 5px; margin: 5px 0px 5px 15px; border-left: lightgrey 1px solid; width: 360px; padding-top: 5px; border-bottom: lightgrey 1px solid"> <p><strong>Editor’s note:</strong> The following link is to the homepage of  <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126064909/http://www.wadinet.de/index.php" class="external" target="_blank">WADI e.V. – Verband für Krisenhilfe und solidarische Entwicklungszusammenarbeit</a> a German NGO. The page has a mix of English and German language articles. Their <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126064909/http://www.wadinet.de/projekte/index.htm" target="_blank" class="external">projects page</a> has a link to the following article: <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126064909/http://www.wadinet.de/projekte/frauen/fgm/campaigning.html" class="external" target="_blank">WADI projects – Campaigning Against Female Genital Mutilation</a>. The Stop FGM in Kurdistan.org  homepage is here: <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126064909/http://www.stopfgmkurdistan.org/" class="external" target="_blank">Stop FGM in Kurdistan</a>.</p> </p></div> <p>Wadi estimates that more than 60 per cent of women in Iraqi Kurdistan have been circumcised. The highest rates are in Grmyan, a mostly rural region that runs along the Iranian border. </p> <p>The practice pre-dates Islam yet is defended as a cultural and religious tradition, a type of Islamic ritual. </p> <p>But I believe that female genital mutilation is the same as any other type of physical violence against women, and that it leaves lifelong psychological scars. </p> <p>I visit the villages three times a week to raise awareness about the practice, and constantly hear horror stories from the women I meet. </p> <p>One 30-year-old woman told me that, at the age of eight, she and her nine friends were lured to a house from where they were told they would be taken clothes shopping. </p> <p>The woman said the girls were instead grabbed by other women from the village, their mouths stuffed with cloths so their screams could not be heard. She said they were taken to an elderly lady who, her hands shaking, cut them with a dirty razor. </p> <p>The woman who recounted the story said she refuses to circumcise her girls, but convincing others to stop the practice is not easy. </p> <p>While younger women are vocal in their opposition to female circumcision, older ones have told us we are spreading immorality and defaming Islam. </p> <p>Women are circumcised in the name of Islam, even though the practice is not sanctioned by the religion. Village lore says that food prepared by women who are not circumcised is not Halal because they have not followed Islam. </p> <p>A documentary we show to women in villages includes two mullahs who state that the practice is not Islamic; and a doctor who speaks of the health problems it can cause. </p> <p>Once taboo to discuss, female genital mutilation is increasingly aired publicly after the local press began covering the issue. In addition to Wadi’s work on the ground in villages, a television advertising campaign has also helped raise awareness. </p> <p>But lawmakers have been hesitant to debate the issue in parliament, stalling legislation that would make female circumcision a crime. </p> <p>Under the proposed law, those found guilty of carrying out the practice would face between six to 15 years in prison and a fine. The parents of the victim could also face prosecution. </p> <p>Foreign organisations such as Wadi are taking the lead against female circumcision, but it is difficult to persuade a majority-Muslim community to stop a practice seen as a religious ritual. </p> <p>It is important for the parliament to pass legislation punishing those who circumcise women. The proposed law has not moved forward, even though 14,000 people signed a letter supporting a ban on the custom. </p> <p>The government could also push religious leaders and the ministries of health and education to raise awareness. </p> <p>Mobilising public opinion against female genital mutilation will have an even bigger impact than legislation. Unless the public’s mindset about the issue changes, a new law will achieve little. </p> <p>Source: <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126064909/http://www.iwpr.net/EN-icr-f-352989" class="external" target="_blank">Combating Female Circumcision</a> By Azeez Mahmoud in Sulaimaniyah (ICR No. 291, 3-June-09) Azeez Mahmoud, an <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126064909/http://www.iwpr.net/" target="_blank" class="external">IWPR</a>-trained journalist, helps Wadi’s mobile teams educate women about female genital mutilation. She is based in Sulaimaniyah.</p> </div> </div> <hr/> <div class="navigation"> <div class="alignleft"><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126064909/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/violence-against-women/page/2/">« Previous Entries</a></div> <div class="alignright"></div> </div> </div> <div id="sidebar" class="span-10 last"> <div class="span-10" id="tabs"> <ul> <li class="ui-tabs-nav-item"><a href="#featured-articles">Featured Articles</a></li> <li class="ui-tabs-nav-item"><a href="#latest-articles">Latest Articles</a></li> </ul> <div id="featured-articles" class="widget"> <ul> <li><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126064909/http://gorillasguides.com/2012/04/19/hezbollah-says-latest-bombings-in-iraq-thwart-mission-to-build-state/">Hezbollah says latest bombings in Iraq “thwart mission to build state”</a></li> <li><a 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