March 8

A Day of Struggle for Full Equality between Women and Men in all Aspects

On March 8 each year, the civilized humanity celebrates International Women's Day. It is a day of struggle for women throughout the world.  Millions of people come out to the streets in support of the demand of full equality between women and men. This day is an occasion to remind the world that full equality between women and men is still a precious goal sought by thousands of egalitarian, secular, radical and humanitarian organizations which represent millions of women all over the world.

At a time of increasing people’s demand for equality and improvement of the deteriorating situation of women around the world, the women in Iraq face a dire and continuously retreating conditions worsened to the point of complete collapse. The oppression of women has tremendously increased as a result of the rise of Political Islam and the reactionary patriarchal and tribal forces that maintain slavery of women at both individual and social levels. In many cities of Iraq, attacks on women became common practices; in streets, at home, school, offices, factories, and workshops. It has become a terrifying adventure for women to go out for shopping or work; a daily nightmare in most cities and towns of Iraq. Honor killing is also widely committed by tribal leaders and Islamists with no serious prevention from the ruling authorities. In the cities of Iraqi Kurdistan hospitals are packed with women and girls who have had no choice but to resort to burning themselves in order to put an end to their miseries. The ruling nationalist forces in Kurdistan are only complaining of the flooding of women to hospitals, while suicide as a horrifying phenomenon does not mean anything to those authorities.

On the other hand, women are marginalized in all walks of life. While trapped in their houses, they face abuse, humiliation, verbal and physical violence, and in many cases are forced to marry. Women have been deprived of all kinds of freedoms including the right to choose her dress and instead forced to wear the Islamic head cover (hijab). The suffering of Iraqi women is part of the suffering of women in countries crushed by Political Islam, nationalist movement, and tribalism. For instance, in Saudi Arabia, Iran, and other places, celebration of love and the exchange of red roses between people is considered a crime punished by the laws of those brutal regimes. Even in countries where Political Islam is not in power, ruling authorities compete with that barbaric movement to show how oppressive and brutal they can be by oppressing women. This is their way of showing loyalty to Islam. Honor Killing has increased not only in those countries but also in societies where women enjoy relatively more freedoms and equality in the West like Canada, Sweden, Britain and other secular societies. Honor killing in those countries are committed by a family member; a father, a brother, or a husband, on the pretext of preserving the honor of family and religion. These Islamic and tribal discriminating values are encouraged by the ruling classes in the West as being “Cultural” diversity and multi-culturalism.

The only solution available for women to rid themselves of these discriminating conditions and of the sexual apartheid is to strengthen their ranks, and struggle along all humanitarian and civilized people in the world. The organization of Women’s liberation in Iraq, believes that equality and freedom of women in Iraq is inseparable from the liberation of people from economic exploitation. We appeal to all people to join this struggle in order to consolidate our front and work together for a better world with full equality between women and men. The organization of Women’s Liberation in Iraq put forward the immediate demands:

1) Full equality between women and men in all aspects and at all levels in Iraq

2) Social benefits for all unemployed women in Iraq

3) Complete separation of religion from State and education system

4) Declaring March 8 - the International Women's Day, a national holiday in Iraq

5) The immediate cessation of violence and murder committed by the gangs of political Islam and nationalists against women and prosecute the perpetrators

Long Live Full Equality between Women and Men!

Long Live March 8, the International Women's Day!

Organization of Women’s Liberation in Iraq - WLI

18-2-2008