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Women's Role in Reconstruction

Post-Conflict Situation

Women are currently underrepresented in Iraqi democratic transition and reconstruction programs. Women's advocacy groups in the United States say the U.S. reconstruction team has invited only a limited number of women to round-table discussions on the future of Iraq.

Swanee Hunt, former US ambassador to Austria, is now heading a group called Women Waging Peace, "When women aren't invited around the table at the very beginning, generally what you hear from the people who are inviting people around the table - they say: well, let's get this situation stabilized and then we'll think about the women, as if thinking about the women is a marginal issue."

Paula J. Dobriansky, Under Secretary of State for Global Affairs has refuted the claim and stated that women are indeed receiving attention in the reconstruction process. In a Washington Times Op-Ed on 2 July 2003, she stated that women were involved in all levels of reconstruction process, including political, civil, economic and social issues.

Under the Coalition Provisional Authority, Ambassardor L. Paul Bremer has met with women to listen to their concerns and their guidance on rebuilding Iraq. Bremer appointed a senior official from his team to enhance women's participation in the new Iraqi government. In the State Department's Office of International Women's Issues, Dobriansky has appointed an Arabic-speaking expert to promote U.S. private-sector support for women's issues in democracy building.

According to the 17 July 2003 State Department Fact Sheet Outlining U.S. Efforts, women have been successfully incorportated into Post-War Iraq and continues to pursue greater women's participation.

USG Actions To Date:

• The U.S.-led Coalition Provisional Authority (CPA) is engaging Iraqi women to promote and ensure their continued involvement as professionals, politicians and visible members of society.
• President Bush, Vice President Cheney, National Security Advisor Rice, members of Congress and other USG officials have met and continue to meet with Iraqi women in the U.S. and Iraq.
• Soon after arriving in Baghdad, Presidential Envoy Paul Bremer met with more than 40 Iraqi women to hear their views on the current situation in Iraq and issues of concern, such as security and engagement in reconstruction efforts. He encouraged the women to organize themselves to address these issues and pledged CPA support for their efforts.
• Under Secretary of State for Global Affairs Paula Dobriansky traveled to Iraq to meet with Ambassador Bremer and participate in the Voice of Women in Iraq conference on July 9. She met with Iraqi women to seek their input on activities to address issues critical to women's involvement in developing civil society, such as legal reform, social welfare, economic development and education.
• Earlier this year, Under Secretary Dobriansky hosted a roundtable with Iraqi women to elicit their ideas for ensuring the full integration of women in the reconstruction process. As a result of these discussions, the Office of International Women's Issues provided a list of qualified women inside and outside Iraq who are available to work with the CPA on reconstruction issues.
• The CPA is including women in the full range of its work on political and economic reconstruction efforts -- from establishing the Interim Authority to providing basic services.
• Programs are being tailored to meet the different needs of women in various regions in Iraq.
• The State Department helped send a delegation of Iraqi women to the June 2003 Global Summit of Women (GSW) conference in Morocco. Forty women ministers and over 700 delegates from approximately 80 countries met to discuss women's economic development and business. It was the first GSW meeting held in the Arab world, and provided Iraqi women with the opportunity to network with their counterparts in the region.
• GSW also organized a pre-summit Colloquium on Economic Development for Women from Arab states.

Ongoing Actions

The CPA is meeting groups of women from all walks of life in an on-going effort to enlist their participation and ask their assistance in identifying other women who want to participate or provide advice on the political process. We have solicited their views in key areas such as constitutional development, judicial reform, and the de-Ba'athification Council.

• CPA is also working to assure the inclusion of women in the rebuilding of ministries and institutions -- such as the Ministry of Planning.
• CPA is holding a series of town hall meetings at the local level, carried out by the Governance Support Teams (GST), which include women.
• CPA plans to work with Iraqi women to ensure that in reforming the legal system, attention is paid to laws that have an impact on the status and rights of women.

  The Department of State's Educational and Cultural Affairs Bureau is organizing a series of International Visitor (IV) Programs on business opportunities for professional Iraqi women. It is also organizing interactive Digitized Video Conference programs between members of Iraqi women's NGOs and their counterparts in the United States.

  Past crimes against humanity and war crimes against Iraqis will be accounted for in a post-conflict Iraqi-led process. Women will continue to play a role in this process as they did in the Governing Council's July 15 decision to move ahead on establishing a special court to try alleged perpetrators.

Transitory Governing Council

On 22 July 2003, the Iraqi Governing Council was formed. The council is a 25-member body with executive powers. There are 3 women included on the Governing Council, a meager 12% of the body. While the council is touted as being a "representative" council, women compose 55% of Iraqi society, though receiving far less representation in this case.