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. -------------- BIOS -------------- ¶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 BAGHDAD 00004526 002 OF 003 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 BAGHDAD 00004526 003 OF 003 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. -------------- ORGANIZATIONS -------------- ¶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