Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
08BAGHDAD2996
2008-09-17 09:22:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Baghdad
Cable title:
WOMEN'S AFFAIRS MINISTER CRITICIZES MALE-DOMINATED
how-toVZCZCXRO4575 PP RUEHBC RUEHDE RUEHIHL RUEHKUK DE RUEHGB #2996 2610922 ZNY CCCCC ZZH P 170922Z SEP 08 FM AMEMBASSY BAGHDAD TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 9457 INFO RUCNRAQ/IRAQ COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
C O N F I D E N T I A L BAGHDAD 002996
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/16/2018
TAGS: KWMN PGOV PHUM PREL IZ
SUBJECT: WOMEN'S AFFAIRS MINISTER CRITICIZES MALE-DOMINATED
GOI, PREPARES FOR CHALLENGES AHEAD
Classified By: By Deputy Political Counselor Steven Walker for reasons
1.4(b) and (d).
--------
Summary
---------
C O N F I D E N T I A L BAGHDAD 002996
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/16/2018
TAGS: KWMN PGOV PHUM PREL IZ
SUBJECT: WOMEN'S AFFAIRS MINISTER CRITICIZES MALE-DOMINATED
GOI, PREPARES FOR CHALLENGES AHEAD
Classified By: By Deputy Political Counselor Steven Walker for reasons
1.4(b) and (d).
--------------
Summary
--------------
1. (C) Minister of State for Women's Affairs (MoSWA) Dr.
Nawal Hamed Majed Al-Samara'e did not mince words in her
criticism of Iraqi politicians and the male-dominated GOI.
Al-Samara'e asserted that few men in the GOI regard women's
issues as even a second-tier priority and believes the
exploitation of women unaware of their rights by their male
relatives, as well as politicians, is a national shame.
Women CoR members' failure to address women's issues in a
concerted manner also arouses Al-Samara'e ire, but she
acknowledges that even if female politicians united, they
would simply be ignored by their male counterparts.
Al-Samara'e is determined to introduce legislation that will
make women's political and social rights, and their right to
education and adequate healthcare a national priority for
the long-term. End summary.
--------------
Education Is the First Priority
--------------
2. (C) In a September 10 meeting with Poloff, Al-Samara'e
expressed high hopes for her current collaboration with the
Ministry of Education on a literacy program for women that
will also include civil and political awareness training,
health and pre-natal care information. She said the
comprehensive program will be launched nationwide in 2009.
Currently NGOs around Iraq are conducting basic literacy
courses for women, but Al-Samara'e stressed that the GOI
should be responsible for educating women, including those
past school-leaving age. Al-Samara'e asserted that Iraqi
womens' ignorance of their rights under under Islamic law has
resulted in their flagrant exploitation by male relatives and
politicians alike. The worst off were women from vulnerable
segments of society, such as the destitute, low-income
widows, and orphans. Women's rights abuses included
depriving women of their due inheritance by forcing them to
sign it away to male relatives and of material support they
were entitled to if summarily divorced by their husbands.
--------------
GOI Inherently Anti-Female
--------------
3. (C) Al-Samara'e asked, "What can you do with a speaker of
parliament (CoR Speaker Mashadani) who does not believe that
women should participate in provincial council elections?"
She asserted that the GOI leadership was not serious about
mandating a women's quota for the CoR and provincial
councils, claiming it hopes to skirt the issue by having
religious leaders issue a fatwa that would discount the need
for writing a women's parliamentary quota into law.
4. (C) On the other hand, Al-Samara'e faulted women
politicians and GOI members for failing to agree on and work
toward shared objectives. She dismissed the idea of a CoR
women's caucus as a futile undertaking. Even if the women
were able cooperate and lobby for women's interests, which
according to Al-Samara'e they are not, their proposals would
simply be ignored by male politicians.
--------------
Comment
--------------
5. (C) Al-Samara'e, a Sunni Muslim member of Tawafuq, was
nominated by the Iraqi Islamic Party (IIP) to the CoR in 2005
after Sunni parties boycotted the 2005 election, but were
assigned a specific number of seats. She is a medical doctor
with experience in obstetrics and has worked in hospitals in
her home province of Mosul and in clinics for women and
children in Baghdad. She was appointed MoSWA in July 2008.
She is very concerned with the problems faced by Iraqi women,
especially the poor and rural. If the critical stance toward
the business-as-usual attitude of the GOI's attitude towards
women's issues and the fighting spirit she demonstrated in
this brief meeting are indicative of how she will lead her
Ministry, then we can expect some real progress in women's
education and welfare in the coming year.
CROCKER
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/16/2018
TAGS: KWMN PGOV PHUM PREL IZ
SUBJECT: WOMEN'S AFFAIRS MINISTER CRITICIZES MALE-DOMINATED
GOI, PREPARES FOR CHALLENGES AHEAD
Classified By: By Deputy Political Counselor Steven Walker for reasons
1.4(b) and (d).
--------------
Summary
--------------
1. (C) Minister of State for Women's Affairs (MoSWA) Dr.
Nawal Hamed Majed Al-Samara'e did not mince words in her
criticism of Iraqi politicians and the male-dominated GOI.
Al-Samara'e asserted that few men in the GOI regard women's
issues as even a second-tier priority and believes the
exploitation of women unaware of their rights by their male
relatives, as well as politicians, is a national shame.
Women CoR members' failure to address women's issues in a
concerted manner also arouses Al-Samara'e ire, but she
acknowledges that even if female politicians united, they
would simply be ignored by their male counterparts.
Al-Samara'e is determined to introduce legislation that will
make women's political and social rights, and their right to
education and adequate healthcare a national priority for
the long-term. End summary.
--------------
Education Is the First Priority
--------------
2. (C) In a September 10 meeting with Poloff, Al-Samara'e
expressed high hopes for her current collaboration with the
Ministry of Education on a literacy program for women that
will also include civil and political awareness training,
health and pre-natal care information. She said the
comprehensive program will be launched nationwide in 2009.
Currently NGOs around Iraq are conducting basic literacy
courses for women, but Al-Samara'e stressed that the GOI
should be responsible for educating women, including those
past school-leaving age. Al-Samara'e asserted that Iraqi
womens' ignorance of their rights under under Islamic law has
resulted in their flagrant exploitation by male relatives and
politicians alike. The worst off were women from vulnerable
segments of society, such as the destitute, low-income
widows, and orphans. Women's rights abuses included
depriving women of their due inheritance by forcing them to
sign it away to male relatives and of material support they
were entitled to if summarily divorced by their husbands.
--------------
GOI Inherently Anti-Female
--------------
3. (C) Al-Samara'e asked, "What can you do with a speaker of
parliament (CoR Speaker Mashadani) who does not believe that
women should participate in provincial council elections?"
She asserted that the GOI leadership was not serious about
mandating a women's quota for the CoR and provincial
councils, claiming it hopes to skirt the issue by having
religious leaders issue a fatwa that would discount the need
for writing a women's parliamentary quota into law.
4. (C) On the other hand, Al-Samara'e faulted women
politicians and GOI members for failing to agree on and work
toward shared objectives. She dismissed the idea of a CoR
women's caucus as a futile undertaking. Even if the women
were able cooperate and lobby for women's interests, which
according to Al-Samara'e they are not, their proposals would
simply be ignored by male politicians.
--------------
Comment
--------------
5. (C) Al-Samara'e, a Sunni Muslim member of Tawafuq, was
nominated by the Iraqi Islamic Party (IIP) to the CoR in 2005
after Sunni parties boycotted the 2005 election, but were
assigned a specific number of seats. She is a medical doctor
with experience in obstetrics and has worked in hospitals in
her home province of Mosul and in clinics for women and
children in Baghdad. She was appointed MoSWA in July 2008.
She is very concerned with the problems faced by Iraqi women,
especially the poor and rural. If the critical stance toward
the business-as-usual attitude of the GOI's attitude towards
women's issues and the fighting spirit she demonstrated in
this brief meeting are indicative of how she will lead her
Ministry, then we can expect some real progress in women's
education and welfare in the coming year.
CROCKER