Iraqi women look to the past, build the future

Photo By Maj. Rebecca Walsh | Women tour the "Silent Witness" exhibit, a collection of life-size wooden cut-outs, painted red, adorned with a burning white candle, representing Iraqi women who cannot express their ideas and opinions as part of the first Salah ad Din Women's Conference at Tikrit University, May 17.  

TIKRIT, IRAQ

05.17.2010

Story by Capt. Rebecca Walsh 

4th Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division

TIKRIT, Iraq – More than 100 Iraqi women and men gathered together at Tikrit University for the first Women's Symposium in Salah ad-Din province, May 17.

The motto of the conference, "Strong Women, Strong Nations" symbolized developments that Iraq has made to help improve the lives of women and the progress that the future will bring as women's issues continue to be addressed through social and political methods.

The historic conference brought together women throughout Iraq and Salah ad-Din, including the minister of women's issues, parliament members, provincial council members, professors and students at Tikrit University and other leaders in the community.

According to Professor Khuala, one of the conference organizers, the symposium provided the opportunity for women to unite, tell their stories and plan ways to improve literacy, computer skills, education, and health in their communities.

The conference began with remarks from Tikrit University President Dr. Ali Saleh Hussein Saleh Al Jabouri, who highlighted the contributions that women had made in Iraq's history.

"Iraq is the cradle of civilization, history shows that the Iraqi woman in the past had complete freedom … she gave the leadership of fighting to the men but she gave the orders," he said.

According to Dr. Ali, women play important roles in the political process to include running for office and voting in the recent elections.

"Women take position of ministers and right now women can build a country that is suffering," he said, as he encouraged women affiliated with the university and women in the community to come together.

During the conference, Professor Khuala and Katherine Dennison, health lead with the Salah ad-Din Provincial Reconstruction Team, gave a joint lecture discussing contributions that women leaders have made in Iraq and the United States.

At the end of the conference, participants toured a gallery of art work observing an exhibit called "Silent Witness", a collection of life-size wooden cut-outs, painted red, adorned with a burning white candle, representing Iraqi women who cannot express their ideas and opinions.

The women of Salah ad-Din plan to make the Women's Symposium an annual event where they hope to continue to look to the past for strength to build the future.

• Date Taken: 05.17.2010
• Date Posted: 05.20.2010 12:46
• Story ID: 50014
• Location: TIKRIT, IQ