26 March 2010

Iraqi Women Leaders on Building Democracy

Civil society, increased awareness are keys to a stronger Iraq, they say

By Carlyn Reichel
Staff Writer

Washington — Democracy in Iraq is being bolstered by the emergence of strong civil society institutions and the remarkable women often involved with them, a group of 15 Iraqi elected female officials said during a two-week exchange of ideas with U.S. policymakers.

The women, each an elected member of an Iraqi provincial council, visited the United States for the Iraqi Woman Provincial Council Leadership Conference to discuss the needs of democracy and civil society in their country. In their conversations with U.S. officials and nongovernmental organizations (NGOs), the Iraqis stressed the need for support from the international community and how women, through increased education and awareness, can play a key role.

“This is not an easy thing for us,” Nasrin Delewi, a member of the Diyala Provincial Council, said through an interpreter. “This is a very difficult thing. Democracy is a new concept in Iraq, so we need a lot of time and effort.”

As part of this effort, several of the women stressed the important role Iraqi NGOs have begun to play in shaping democracy.

Iraq’s ambassador to the United States, Samir Sumaidaie, remarked specifically on ways that women are taking a major part in shaping Iraq’s civil society. “The thing which gives me more hope is that I know our women are very strong,” said Sumaidaie. “They are a formidable force, and they become more formidable when they are organized, and that is why I am so happy to see so many NGOs mushrooming in Iraq with women at the helms. They are making a big difference, and they are transforming society.”

Faten Abdulqader Lateef, who is a journalist and member of the Salah Ad Din Provincial Council, said she was lucky to have personal relationships with civil society organizations in Iraq. “They taught us the fundamentals of true democracy and how to deal with this new and wonderful experience, and we learned a lot from them,” she said through an interpreter. “I entered a lot of training programs for capacity building to prepare women for such a role and to learn how to manage our campaigns in a scientific fashion.” She recently put those campaign methods into practice in a run for the Iraqi Parliament and is waiting to find out the results of the March 7, 2010, elections.

Delewi also said it was her position in civil society that initially brought her into political life. “The first thing that happened after democracy was presented to Iraq was the presence of civil society organizations,” she said. Her organization, for the disabled and those with special needs, was assisted by U.S. organizations such as Mercy Corps and ACDI/VOCA as well as Netherlands-based NGOs, she added.

Delewi highlighted the role civil society played in overseeing and monitoring the recent elections in Iraq, as well as raising awareness about the elections and instructing people about the process of voting. “Democracy was a dream for us,” said Abdulqader Lateef. “We were hoping to achieve democracy and to implement it, and when we finally reached democracy, we did not know how to deal with it. We considered it to be an absolute freedom without implementing the law, and this is where we found a lot of bumps in the way.”

The women also participated in training sessions in political campaigning, public speaking, coalition building and government management as part of their visit. They will return home with new tools to help them leverage their positions as community leaders and their dedication to strengthening the pillars of democracy in their country.

(This is a product of the Bureau of International Information Programs, U.S. Department of State. Web site: http://www.america.gov)