THE LAST DAYS OF A STATE MINISTRY

C O N F I D E N T I A L BAGHDAD 001305

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/27/2018
TAGS: PREL PGOV PHUM IZ
SUBJECT: THE LAST DAYS OF A STATE MINISTRY

Classified By: Deputy PolCouns Ellen Germain for reasons 1.4(b) and (d)


1. (C) Summary: In a April 27 meeting with PolOffs, members
of the Ministry of State for Women's Affairs (MoSWA)
expressed their overwhelming frustrating with the lack of
support the Ministry is receiving since the Prime Minister's
Office made the informal decision to eliminate the
organization in its upcoming cabinet reshuffle. Although
MoSWA is still carrying on as many programs as it can handle,
the Council of Ministers (COM) and its leadership has refused
to hire new employees for MoWSA to replace the 50 percent of
the staff that has already departed. The staff pleaded with
PolOffs to offer any assistance the Embassy could provide.
End Summary


2. (C) Visibly upset, Jawan Akram Amin, the Director for
Public Affairs and Media for MoSWA, highlighted the staffing
problems that the Ministry faced in the past few months.
With only an Acting Minister (Narmeen Othman, Minister of
Science and Environment),personnel transfers and departures
have left the Ministry with only about half of its 13
staffing positions, some of which are contractors who are
threatening to leave because of low pay and long hours.
Additionally, the Ministry has no vehicle or driver to
support its programs, nor does it have a translator.
Requests to the CoM Deputy Secretary General Dr. Farhad for
additional staffing have only resulted in offers for future
contract workers; direct hires would likely leave suddenly
because of security reasons, according to Farhad. Jawan
asserted that this slow death of the Ministry was a result of
PM Maliki's decision to eliminate all of the Ministries of
State in his upcoming cabinet reshuffle. (Note: Jawan placed
all of her frustration and the blame for the premature
dismantling on Dr. Farhad; at one point, normally very
reserved, she made it clear to PolOffs that she thought he
was a "retarded man" with a "retarded perspective" who came
from a "retarded northern tribe." End Note.)


3. (C) Staffing and resource shortages aside, Jawan detailed
a very active set of programs that the Ministry was running,
including planning for a housing project for 15,000 widows;
an information campaign to explain the rights of women
codified within the Iraqi Constitution; and a study of the
increase in prostitution among the Iraqi women who fled to
Syria. She also highlighted a major breast cancer campaign
that she was organizing by forming a committee that included
members of the Ministries of Health and Education, along with
parliamentarians. Already her efforts have produced a
brochure on breast cancer self-examinations that was approved
for distribution by the marja'iya; she plans to distribute
the pamphlets to primary school students to deliver to their
mothers when funding becomes available. She also recently
concluded surveys within Baghdad and Kirkuk that indicate a
low rate of breast cancer awareness within the populations
sampled.


4. (C) Concluding the meeting, Jawan pleaded with PolOffs to
offer any support Post could muster, especially concerning
the shortage of staffing. She reiterated that many of the
staff were pulling 'triple duty', pointing out another staff
member who acted as secretary, technology coordinator, and
translator for the Ministry. She lamented the position of
the GOI which, in her opinion, was now acting to dismiss the
Ministry and the role of women within Iraq.


5. (C) Comment: Although the elimination of the Ministries of
State is likely inevitable, the MoSWA is notable because it
actually accomplishes programming without an operating
budget. This is, in no small part, a credit to the women
like Jawan who spend many hours networking and expending
their own resources. Due to her single-handed work to build
a breast cancer campaign and the obstacles she has already
overcome in her efforts, Post will nominate Jawan for the
upcoming IVLP on Breast Cancer Awareness and Outreach. End
Comment.

CROCKER