User:SilviaC2014/sandbox

Final Draft (12/12/2018)

- I removed information that was not needed and removed the section about Struggles faced by the Iraqi community.I also shorten the section about women in Iraq and Relevancy of the OWFI. I also reformatted some sentences.

Relevancy of OWFI
The OWFI is important to Iraqi women because the organization fights for women’s rights in Iraq. The OWFI is one of the most outspoken women’s rights groups of Iraq although other women's right groups chose distance themselves because critics view the group as radical feminists and radical secularists.

They are part of a state wide women's rights movement where the groups do not rely on American or British intervention to liberate them or to fight for their rights[8]. The OWFI has a non-imperialist agenda to fight for justice and help women who have been victims of violence. The OWFI has an established network in Iraq and also on a global scale for advocating gender inclusive governments. The OWFI also provides humanitarian support to women who have been alienated by their families, this includes food, shelter, medicine, and clothing[8].

Newsletter
The OWFI has a website that contains updates on the events they have organized as well as bringing awareness about what is happening in the Iraqi government and women’s status in Iraq. The newsletter highlights their efforts in the fight for equal rights and legal status[1]. In their latest newsletter posted in June 2018, they identify that the democracy in Iraq is not functioning as the latest elections have failed to announce the final results from their elections. They organized an event and discussed the discrimination that exist In Iraq towards Black Iraqi women. On their website Yanar Mohammed says “This year in particular we are committing to lobbying structural and legislative changes for women's rights in Iraq”[1].

Employment and Sex Trafficking
There has been lack of jobs and education in Baghdad, Iraq. This has led to men and women seeking jobs near Damascus, Syria. Unfortunately for women there are traffickers that trick them into sex work by telling them they will be working at textile factories where they can pay up to $300 a month [2]. This phenomenon has brought many women and girls as young as 12-years-old to Damscus,Syria because of the economic instability that Iraqi families have faced in the past 15-years[2]. The OWFI helps women prevent from falling for these tricks and also provides housing for victims of sex trafficking that are rejected by their families. Women who are raped and/or forced into sex work face the same treatment of dishonor from their families. If a female family member interacts with a US soldier, the family is expected to have her killed in order to retain their honor in the community in Baghdad[3].

Honor Killings
In the city of Basra honor killings are so common that “hitmen” can be hired by the head of the family to restore the honor their female family members might have tarnished. Southern Iraqi law enforcement claims that they are powerless to monitor and prevent honor killings[4]. In 2008 there was a 70% increase in religious murders. Since then there has not been any improvements made in those numbers or steps taken to prevent any further religious murders. In 2007, at the Basra Security Committee, a lawyer explained how police in Basra take measures to prevent perpetrators from being convicted of murder. This had led to more families participating honor killings for prices as low as $100. In the city of Basra, 81 women were murdered in 2008, but only five people were convicted that same year[4].

Abuse of women in Iraq
Women in Iraq are more vulnerable to acts of violence and to be accepting of domestic violence. An average of 63% of Iraqi women agree that being hit or beaten by their husbands is justified. After the over throwing of Saddam Hussein, there was increased conflict between Sunni and Shiite Muslims. Soon after, Shiite and Sunni militia groups targeted women of the other group by abducting, beating, raping, assassinating, trafficking, and murdering those women [6].

These are the additions I will make to the OWFI Wiki page. (12/5/2018)

Newsletter
The OWFI has a blog that contains updates on the events they have organized as well as bringing awareness about what is happening in the Iraqi government and women’s status in Iraq. They also have a newsletter that they sent out very few months to highlight their efforts in the fight for equal rights and legal status. In their latest newsletter posted in June 2018, they identify that the democracy in Iraq is not functioning as the latest elections have failed to announce the final results from their elections and they organized an event where they discussed the discrimination that exist In Iraq towards Black Iraqi women. On their website Yanar Mohammed says “This year in particular we are committing to lobbying structural and legislative changes for women's rights in Iraq”.

Women in Iraq
Post US occupation in Iraq, there has been lack of jobs and education in Baghdad, Iraq. This has led to men and women seeking jobs near Damascus, Syria. Unfortunately for women there are traffickers that trick them working at textile factories where they can pay up to $300 a month but are forced into sex work once they arrive in Damascus. This phenomenon has brought many women and girls as young as 12-years-old to Syria because of the economic instability that Iraqi families have faced in the past 15-years. NGOs estimate 800,000 Iraqi people have moved to Syria in order to find employment. The local agencies in Syria turn a blind eye to sex trafficking because they do not receive enough funding according to the UNHCR Representative who had requested back 2006 a budget of $1.3 million but only received $700,000, this roughly equals $1 per Iraqi refugee in Syria. Since then, the financial situation has worsen and many refugees that are in need go without assistance from the UNHCR.

Mohammed explained that  “Many of them were unable to return home, because their extended families and tribes have rejected them because they are seen as dishonorable. Others have no home to return to after ISIS fighters massacred or displaced their families and destroyed their villages”, this narrative is common especially with the Qadiya refugees.

Many of the women who are raped and/or forced into sex work face the same treatment of dishonor from their families. If a female family member interacts with a US soldier, the family is expected to have her killed in order to retain their honor in the community in Baghdad.

In the city of Basra honor killings are so common that “hitmen” can be hired by the head of the family to restore the honor their female family members might have tarnished. Southern Iraqi law enforcement claims that they are powerless to monitor and prevent honor killings. In 2008 there was a 70% increase in religious murders. Since then there has not been any improvements made in those numbers or steps taken to prevent any further religious murders. In 2007, at the Basra Security Committee, a lawyer explained how police in Basra take measures to prevent perpetrators from being convicted of murder. This had led to more families participating honor killings for prices as low as $100. In the city of Basra, 81 women were murdered in 2008, but only five people were convicted that same year.

Struggles faced by the Iraqi Community
The Islamic State (ISIS) grows stronger because their corrupt government is weak and cannot protect civilians. Many women experience some form of violence family or strangers in the streets. These women don’t see justice for the crimes committed against them and face further violence at home for bribing shame upon their name.

The rise of the ISIS stems from years of a Shiite dominated government, their previous Prime Minister Nouri Al Maliki, who was a Shiite Muslim leader, oppressed Sunni Muslims in Iraq and created divisions in the region. This created the Kurdish North, Sunni West, and Shiite South. This weakened the local communities making them prone to ISIS attacks. These areas do not have consistent resources which caused the people to protest. The governments response was to suppress the demonstrators, they killed a young protester to show the public what ill happen if they continue.

After the over throwing of Saddam Hussein, there was a fight for power by Sunni and Shiite Muslims. In that 2003 the leader was a Shiite Muslim who decided to place Sharia Law and eliminating family laws. This made it easier for the government to enforce Shiite Islamic beliefs such as women being covered whether they were Muslim. These laws went as far as punishing women with death if they were perceived to be violating the laws. Soon after, Shiite and Sunni militia groups targeted women by abducting, beating, raping, assassinating, trafficking, and murdering women who were of the other religious group.

Abuse of women in Iraq
Women of Iraq are more vulnerable acts of violence and to be accepting of domestic violence. An average of 63% of Iraqi women agree that being hit or beaten by their husbands is justified. In rural areas the number was as high as 73% compared to 58% in urban regions. In northern Iraq they saw the lowest number being 57% of acceptance of domestic violence.

Relevancy of OWFI
The OWFI is important to Iraqi women because the organization fights for women’s rights and also teaches women about their rights such as voting. The OWFI is one of the most outspoken women’s rights groups of Iraq although other women's right groups chose distance themselves because critics view the group as radical feminists and radical secularists.

They are part of a state wide women's rights movement where the groups do not rely on American or British intervention to liberate them or to fight for their rights. The OWFI has a non-imperialist agenda to fight for justice and help women who have been victims of violence. The OWFI has an established network in Iraq and also on a global scale for advocating gender inclusive governments. The OWFI also provides humanitarian support to women who have been alienated by their families, this includes food, shelter, medicine, and clothing.