ANALYSIS: Women Of Iraq: Leaders Cry For Hope

As a physician and politician in Iraq, Dr. Nara Ibrahim is no stranger to risking her life in the name of progress. “As a female politician, I was subject to killing threats. Some of my friends and colleagues were kidnapped and killed,” she said calmly, adding intently, “I hope for a better future.”

Hope is what brought Dr. Ibrahim and a delegation of nine other Iraqi women to the U.S. and to the offices of Working Mother. Their three-week tour, hosted by the U.S. State Department, presented an opportunity to exchange ideas—and for U.S. women to learn about Iraqi women face-to-face. Dr. Ibrahim, who serves on the Iraqi Council of Representatives and heads the Women and Future Organization, spoke of the working woman's progress in Iraq. The delegation, most wearing headscarves, spoke proudly of the police women and council women in their province, as well as the female judges and members of the national parliament. Indeed, women are jumping at the opportunity to have a say in government, even if death threats are part of the bargain.

“Women in Iraq are eager to go to school to prove their competency,” said Suaad Allami, an attorney and Director of Women for Progress Center. “Sometimes when they stand for office, women face threats on their lives. You need to know how courageous Iraqi women are.” She explained that women held jobs in every sector in Iraq before the war. Today, they're moving back into these positions. She described the typical Iraqi woman as a hard worker “inside and outside of the home, day and night.”

The delegation, which also included Ameera Abaid Salman AL-Bakry, deputy chairman of the Babylon Provincial Council, did not discuss the fact that under Saddam Hussein, Iraq was one of the more secular Arab countries. Nor did they mention the 2003 U.S.-led invasion. Instead, they spoke of life before 2003 and after 2003. Suaad Allami said she lost her husband in the war, and another member of the delegation said she lost not only her husband, but also her two brothers to terrorists. The women said chaos lingered after 2003, leaving 1 million widows and 1.8 million mothers with no shelter for their children. Poverty and unemployment were widespread. A Ministry for Women's Affairs lacked a budget and was therefore ineffective. Even though many women are without basic services and struggle to provide for their families, they have hope. Their optimism stems in part from their involvement in local and national government as well as civil society.

When asked what women in Iraq need, the women responded in unison: “hope.” They said Iraqi women need to believe that change is possible. They also need better health services to address illness and better educational opportunities to help lift women out of poverty. Their goal, they said, is to have their story heard. To learn more about the women of Iraq, visit