Conference for Iraqi Women as Agents for Conflict Resolution and Reconciliation

Summary

May 2008 —A conference on “Women as Agents of Conflict Resolution and Reconciliation” took place in Sulemaniva, Iraq, from May 18 – 20, 2008. Hosted by the RAND Alternative Strategy Initiative, its goals were to bring together Iraqi women active in the anti-sectarian, anti-terrorist and pro-peace domains to share information about their work, describe the major obstacles they faced, develop strategies, and plan the way forward.

Iraqi First Lady Hero Ibrahim Ahmed (Talibani) and acting Minister of Women’s Affairs Narmin Othman opened the conference. Activist Madeha Odhaib delivered the keynote address. Ms. Odhaib, a Baghdad resident, was named one of TIME magazine’s 100 Most Influential People of 2008 in recognition of her work with internally displaced persons.

After the opening remarks, RAND hosts Cheryl Benard and Ed O’Connell asked the delegates to describe their personal experiences: what programs they had created to confront sectarian conflict, what obstacles they faced, and how they managed to succeed. It quickly became clear that this was not a group of academics or disengaged bystanders. These were women on the front lines of a very cruel conflict; and they had experienced terrible personal losses, including intimidation, physical assault, and loss of family members to terrorism and sectarian violence. Still, they had chosen to take action despite serious personal risk.

To help facilitate the discussions, Benard and O’Connell had also invited women from Northern Ireland and the Balkans who had experience in conflict resolution. They shared their own stories, and they helped establish a broader context for the important work the Iraqi women had undertaken. Journalists and members of local non-government organizations joined the groups and exchanges. Iraqi President Jalal Talibani made a surprise appearance at the reception held on the second day, where he greeted and thanked each delegate individually.

The conference revealed two overarching concerns: First, the current violence in Iraq is tearing apart the lives of all Iraqi citizens and creating a pervasive atmosphere of fear and grief. Second, Iraqi women are facing legal handicaps through prejudicial paragraphs in the Constitution. If the existing discriminatory laws are not reversed, and if the push by conservative elements for an even more extensive downgrading of women’s legal standing is allowed to continue, women’s quality of life will be negatively affected and their ability to carry out effective political action will be blocked.

The conference concluded with a motion to initiate a new Iraqi women’s peace movement, Women of Iraq for Peace and Justice, to build on the positive momentum and spirit of unification that the delegates had achieved. For some of them, this brought to mind the Kurdish women’s peace march of 1994 of which it had been said, “We weren’t sure where we were going, but we knew the direction was hope.”