>Date: Thu, 20 Apr 2006 06:34:14 -0400 (EDT) >From: CODEPINK <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> >Reply-To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] >To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] >Subject: Iraqi Women Under Siege: Read Report! >Envelope-From: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> >email_KEY: 110318066 >X-ELNK-Info: spv=0; >X-ELNK-AV: 0 >X-ELNK-Info: sbv=0; sbrc=.0; sbf=0b; sbw=000; > > > >April 20, 2006 > >Dear Supporter, > >The Iraqi women who toured the United States last month told us that >they were amazed by how misinformed many Americans were about the >lives of Iraqi women. Most Americans thought that before the >overthrow of Saddam Hussein, Iraqi women were sitting at home >oppressed, heavily veiled and secluded, and that thanks to the US >invasion, they are now liberated. This is what the Bush >administration would like us to believe, but after listening to our >Iraqi friends many people now know better. To further shed light on >the true status of Iraqi women, CODEPINK has released an in-depth >report Iraqi ><http://www.democracyinaction.org/dia/track.jsp?key=110318066&url_num=1&url=http://www.codepinkalert.org/downloads/IraqiWomenReport.pdf>Women > >Under Siege. We encourage you to download this report, read it and >pass it on to others. > > >The report shows that from 1958 to the 1990s, Iraq provided more >rights and freedoms for women and girls than most of its neighbors. >Though Saddam Hussein's dictatorial government and 12 years of >severe sanctions reduced these opportunities, Iraqi women were >active in all aspects of their society. After the occupation, with >the exception of women in Iraqi Kurdistan, women's daily lives have >been reduced to a mere struggle for survival. > >Women walking on the streets face random violence, assault, >kidnapping or death at the hands of suicide bombers, occupying >forces, Iraqi police, radical religious groups, and local thugs. >Women trying to raise families in the midst of this chaos find >themselves beset by a lack of electricity and clean water, and a >dearth of social services like decent schools and health care. >Unemployment among women has skyrocketed. Of the 260,000 >reconstruction contracts in Iraq, less than 1,000 have gone to >female contractors. Before the occupation 70% of the public >workforce, by far the largest employer in Iraq, were women. >The constant violence has trapped women and their children -- >particularly their daughters -- inside the homes. Fewer girls go to >school and illiteracy among girls is on the rise. >Though 25% of the seats in the National Assembly are reserved for >women, the real power in Iraq is increasingly in the hands of >Islamists determined to move Iraq from a secular society towards a >theocracy. They are forcing women to wear veils and are trying to >curtail women's rights in areas such as marriage, divorce, and >inheritance. >But as we learned from our amazing delegation, Iraqi women are not >mere victims, passively watching the destruction of their lives and >the fabric of their communities. As delegate Nadje Al-Ali writes in >our report, > >"Despite the chaos and violence that restricts their activities and >mobility, the women struggle on, meeting in each other's houses, >establishing refuges where women can learn skills to make a living, >providing free health care, legal advice and literacy and computer >classes. Iraqi women also organize conferences, sit-ins and >demonstrations to get their voices heard and to influence the >political process." > >CODEPINK will continue to support the efforts of Iraqi women, and to >push for the withdrawal of foreign troops so that the Iraqi people >can determine their own future. Our next major CODEPINK action to >end the occupation and support Iraqi women will be a 24-hour >Mother's Day vigil in front of the White House in Washington DC from >May 13-14. ><http://www.democracyinaction.org/dia/track.jsp?key=110318066&url_num=2&url=http://www.codepinkalert.org/article.php?id=894>Click > >here for details. Join actress Susan Sarandon, peace mom Cindy >Sheehan, Nobel Prize winner Jody Williams, doctor/clown Patch Adams, >as well as Iraqi and Iranian women, for an inspiring weekend that >will include a performance of the historic antiwar play Lysistrata, >an evening concert, antiwar films, activist trainings, an interfaith >service, ><http://www.democracyinaction.org/dia/track.jsp?key=110318066&url_num=3&url=http://www.codepinkalert.org//article.php?id=878>writing > >letters to Laura Bush, and a pink pajama party. > >Whether or not you can join us, ><http://www.democracyinaction.org/dia/track.jsp?key=110318066&url_num=4&url=https://secure.democracyinaction.org/dia/organizations/codepink/shop/custom.jsp?donate_page_KEY=1434>please > >consider making a donation to help us bring Iraqi and Iranian women, >as well as US military families against the war, to speak at the DC >vigil and to travel to communities throughout the US. > >For the sake of our Iraqi sisters, let's educate ourselves, spread >the truth and redouble our efforts to build a more peaceful world. > >Sisters in solidarity, >Allison, Dana, Farida, Gael, Jodie, Medea, Nancy, Rae and Tiffany > >P.S. Don't forget to forward this email to your friends and help >spread the word! > > >To unsubscribe ><http://www.democracyinaction.org/dia/track.jsp?key=110318066&url_num=5&url=http://hq.demaction.org/dia/organizations/codepink/unsubscribe.jsp>click > >here > >
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed] --------------------------------------------------------------------------- LAAMN: Los Angeles Alternative Media Network --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Unsubscribe: <mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]> --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Subscribe: <mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]> --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Digest: <mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]> --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Help: <mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]> --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Post: <mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]> --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Archive1: <http://www.egroups.com/messages/laamn> --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Archive2: <http://www.mail-archive.com/[EMAIL PROTECTED]> --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Yahoo! Groups Links <*> To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/laamn/ <*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] <*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
