BIOGRAPHICAL DATA ON WOMEN ACTIVISTS AND

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 03 BAGHDAD 004526

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/08/2016
TAGS: PINR KWMN PGOV PHUM IZ
SUBJECT: BIOGRAPHICAL DATA ON WOMEN ACTIVISTS AND
ORGANIZATIONS IN THE KRG

Classified By: RRT Leader James Yellin for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d)

This is a Regional Reconstruction Team (RRT) cable.

CONFIDENTIAL

SIPDIS
PROG 12/08/2006
POL:RGILCHRIST
RRT IRBIL:JMERGY
RRT:JYELLIN
POL:RPURNELL
POL:RGILCHRIST
POL:LREFETT

AMEMBASSY BAGHDAD
SECSTATE WASHDC
INFO IRAQ COLLECTIVE
WHITE HOUSE WASHINGTON DC
SECDEF WASHINGTON DC

E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/08/2016
TAGS: PINR KWMN PGOV PHUM IZ
SUBJECT: BIOGRAPHICAL DATA ON WOMEN ACTIVISTS AND
ORGANIZATIONS IN THE KRG

Classified By: RRT Leader James Yellin, reasons 1.4 (b) and
(d)

This is a Regional Reconstruction Team (RRT) cable.


1. (SBU) SUMMARY: Women activists in Sulaymaniyah
provided RRT Off with the following biographical data in
meetings on November 11 and 14. Information on the
organizations to which the women belong follows and is
based on public sources and a meeting with the director of
Hataw advocacy group on December 4. END SUMMARY.

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BIOS
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2. (C) Soz ABDUL-QADIR is an activist focused on helping
youth and women's groups through small business promotion
and economic development. She is a member of the
Sulaymaniyah Council and Strategic Plan Board for
Provincial Development Strategy (SPB for PDS). This
initiative is headed by the Sulaymaniyah Provincial Council
and is funded by USAID through the Research Triangle
Institute (RTI). According to Abdul-Qadir, the SPB members
include private sector, university, local directors, and
syndicates. Ms. Abdul-Qadir is also the Vice-President of
the Sulaymaniyah City Council Women's Committee.
Currently, she is working toward a master's degree from St.
Clement University in Iraq.


3. (C) Amina GOYAN is an advocate for women's rights,
regional law, and national reconciliation. She is a former
member of the Mosul City Council. Ms. Goyan said she
received threats from fundamentalist groups during her
tenure on the Mosul Council as a result of her strong
stance against terrorism and fundamentalism. She is also a
member of the Iraqi Women's Network. Established in 2004
in the United States, the Network seeks to integrate women
into Iraqi civil society and bring together representatives
from the private sector in the United States and women in
Iraq. Ms. Goyan also belongs to the Iraqi Al Amal
Association in Sulaymaniyah. Established in 1992, the
Iraqi Al-Amal Association strives to improve social
conditions in Iraq through projects in health services,
training and education, cultural activities, social
activities, and reconstruction schemes. In addition, Ms.
Goyan notes she is invited to international conferences and
has conducted several workshops and seminars regarding
conflict resolution, regional law, and national
reconciliation. She received a bachelor's degree in
biology from Mosul University.


4. (C) Cheman Saeed JAAFAR is a deputy prosecutor from
Kalar, South of Sulaymaniyah. She participates in numerous
advocacy groups and awareness campaigns regarding the
constitution, elections, and women's rights. Ms. Jaafar
said she is the first and the only female jurisprudent in
her rural area, where she claims there are a large number
of domestic abuse cases. She is also involved in
multiethnic issues in the outer-lying district of Kirkuk,
particularly, related to Turkomans. Ms. Jaafar received a
bachelor's degree from Baghdad University in 1992.


5. (C) Nadia AL JADIR is an Iraqi-Canadian engaged in
advocacy work on peace, democracy, and institution
building. She was the manager of the nation-wide Women's

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Advocacy Program, a Baghdad-based organization that seeks
to broaden women's participation in all aspects of civil
society. Her other areas of interests include the personal
status law, women and the media, elections, education, and
political participation to empower women. Ms. Al Jadir
took part in the Rehabilitation Iraqi Schools and Education
(RISE) development program in the Middle East. Since 2003,
she has collaborated with USAID to develop teacher training
courses in Iraq. In addition, as the National Secretary
for the Canadian Arab Federation, Ms. Al Jadir coordinated
with the Canadian government to provide technical and
management expertise for overseas projects. She also
participated in the United Nations Development
Program-Iraqis Rebuilding Iraq (UNDP/IRI) where she
developed training and teaching methodologies. She holds a
master's degree in education.


6. (C) Sura JADIR (Nadia Al Jadir's daughter) is an
Iraqi-Canadian working in Iraqi Kurdistan as an educator,
and community activist. She is the Secretary of the Iraqi
Canadian Society of Ontario and member of the Canadian Arab
Federation. Ms. Jadir is active in many areas of education
-educational workshop planning, curriculum development, and
teacher mentoring. She is a UNDP/IRI expert on education.
Ms. Jadir notes the UNDP/IRI program offers expatriate
Iraqis who have professional experience in technical
assistance abroad the opportunity to carry out short-term
assignments in Iraq. Ms. Jadir implemented strategic
planning for Sulaymaniyah University in the sectors of
design and development and program management. She is
currently implementing a teacher training program for
English language teachers at Sulaymaniyah University. Ms.
Jadir devised the program's proposed curriculum, which
introduces innovative methods for teaching English, and
provided strategic planning and direction for operational
management of the program. Ms. Jadir also worked on the
design and implementation of the English as a Second
Language (ESL) program for the Kurdistan Business Women's
Association in Sulaymaniyah. Ms. Jadir also works on cover
design and implementation of microfinance projects,
personal finance, and financial planning. As an
expatriate, Ms. Jadir said her dream is to "contribute to
her country."


7. (C) Kazhan KADIR is an advocate for women and children's
rights. She is a lecturer in the department of family and
community medicine at the College of Medicine at the
Sulaymaniyah University. Ms. Kadir is a board member of
the Hataw organization. She has extensive experience in
community health from her previous work with UNICEF.


9. (C) Mina MAHMOD is an educator and manager of a private
school that teaches English and computer skills to adults.
She is one of few women directors of adult educational
center in Sulaymaniyah.


10. (C) Golzol MUSTAFA is an educator and human rights
activist. She works for a local institute teaching English
and computer science. She is also head of the Satellite
Center for Organizations, an initiative of the Iraqi Civil
Society Program (ICSP). Ms. Mustafa is also Director of
the Women's Alliance for Democratic Iraq in Sulaymaniyah.
She participates in the grass roots initiative "CARA." Her
charity work focuses on finding financial aid for
students. She said that in the future, her priority is to
obtain services for the disabled. Ms. Mustafa told RRT Off
that the KRG needs more expertise and a curriculum for
education development.


12. (C) Bahra OTHMAN is a businesswoman and chairwoman of
the Sulaymaniyah hairdressers' syndicate. Ms. Othman said
she wants to upgrade her business and participate in the
economical development of the region. She is a member of
the CARA project and is currently developing a Kurdish
folklore handicraft project to assist women artists in
establishing their own small businesses.


13. (C) Raz RASOOL is an Iraqi-American and advocate for
women and youth's rights. Ms. Rasool is a member of Hataw,
Speda, and ASUDA grass roots organizations. Her recent
activities have focused on capacity building,
reconstruction, and economic development. Ms. Rasool is
the founder of the CARA project and cofounder of the Women'
s Alliance for Democratic Iraq. She is also cofounder and
Vice-Present of the Kurdistan Business Women Association
(KBWA). Moreover, Ms. Razool is a member of the Iraqi
Women's Network. An engineer by training, Ms. Rasool works
at Meena Land Enterprises LLC and Al Bani Company -- a
women-owned business established in Kurdistan to provide
services in the areas of training, construction and

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supply. She told RRT Off that after the uprising in 1991,
she was engaged in the reconstruction of the Kurdistan
region and was active in the Iraqi opposition to Saddam
Hussein. She added that in the early 1990s, she worked
with Kurdish victims of the Husse in regime. Ms. Rasool
stated that she fled Iraq in 1998. She later returned to
work with the Coalition Provisional Authority in the Iraqi
Reconstruction and Development Council which was recognized
by former Presidential Envoy to Iraq Ambassador Paul
Bremer. Ms. Rasool is a member of the Higher Commission
for Sulaymaniyah Strategic Planning. Ms. Rasool told RRT
Off her father is an Iraqi dissident imprisoned for his
opposition activities. She clarified that her father is
now a member of the Kurdish parliament and head of the
Kurdish Writers Union.

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ORGANIZATIONS
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14. (C) Hataw ("sun" in Kurdish) is an advocacy group for
women's rights. It raises community awareness on
legislative matters, including the constitution, the
election process and human rights. In addition, Hataw
hosts a radio program for and by women on social issues ("
Kojan"). It produces dramatizations of domestic abuse
court cases and invites legal and medical experts to
respond to questions from the public. Hataw assists in
rehabilitation and reintegration of women cancer
survivors. It operates a mobile library in rural areas and
distributes publications on human rights to public
offices. The organization claims to have eight thousand
members. Formerly a member of the Peshmerga (Patriotic
Union of Kurdistan) and past Kurdistan Regional Government
Deputy Minister of Education, Awat Hamarsh is Hataw's
director.


15. (C) CARA ("active" in Kurdish) is a local initiative
for women and youth which promote economic development as a
means to obtain political independence. One activist told
RRT Off that CARA views political freedom as a means to
fight terrorist movements, corruption practices, and an "
over-controlling government". She notes CARA training
programs are designed so the trainees contribute to the
training costs equal to that of international donors. She
adds that because trainees pay in part for their training,
they are more appreciative and will likely develop personal
responsibility.


16. (C) Speda ("tomorrow" in Kurdish) was established in

2005. Its focus is on youth issues. The Chairman used to
work with ASUDA.


17. (C) ASUDA -- Organization for Combating Violence
Against Women -- was founded in 2000 and was registered in
May 2001 in Sulaymaniyah with the Ministry of Humanitarian
Assistance and Cooperation in Iraqi Kurdistan. ASUDA
combats violence against women through an institutional
approach to enhance the status of women through their
participation in civil society. Activities are designed to
promote gender equality. ASUDA claims to be the only
non-affiliated non-governmental organization (NGO) working
on women issues. (Comment: RRT Off lacks evidence ASUDA
is the only neutral NGO operating in Iraqi Kurdistan.)


KHALILZAD