Wednesday, October 8 th , 2003

Wednesday, October 8 th , 2003 Hilary White (o: 030-220361) Ambassador paul bremer visits heartland of iraq women’s conference as President George W. Bush and dr. condoleezza rice also recognize women’s conference Al Hilla, Babil Province. Ambassador Paul Bremer visited the Heartland of Iraq Women’s Conference on Tuesday. Speaking to more than 200 women, he applauded the women’s initiative and supported their tremendous efforts. The work you do will make a difference for years to come...there is indeed hope in Iraq today and women across the country are working to improve the society. Iraq’s future now rests on making a new constitution...there should be an effective role and voice for women. The women also heard from Dr. Condoleezza Rice, U.S. National Security Advisor, via a taped message translated into Arabic. In her remarks, Dr. Rice applauded the women’s initiative. I want to encourage you to freely discuss whatever is on your mind. And particularly as women to discuss the vital role that women can and must play in any society...I encourage you to be engaged in the new Iraq fully in the search for freedom and democracy – freedom and democracy that will certainly come to terms with the traditions of your society and with your great religion. I encourage you, because as members of the Coalition, the United States and those who have helped liberate your country want you to succeed. On Saturday, President George W. Bush recognized the Women’s Conference in his weekly radio address. Across Iraq, our coalition is turning over responsibility to the future leaders of that country. Those leaders include women. Just this weekend, a conference is being held at the University of Babylon to affirm the vital role of women in the Iraqi society. Unification of Iraqi women – “Women for Women” – represented the underlying theme of the four day conference. The conference included women from all over Iraq and was held in Al Hilla, about 70 miles south of Baghdad. The women came from different backgrounds – lawyers, housewives, doctors, farmers, town council members, teachers, and many others. During the former Regime, Iraqi women would never have dreamed of meeting to discuss their rights as individuals. Many of the women participating had their husbands, fathers, and sons murdered by Saddam Hussein. The Women’s Conference provided an opportunity for women to claim back their freedoms and focus on their futures as leaders and valuable participants in the reconstruction of a free Iraq. The Coalition Provisional Authority (CPA) and the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) worked with women from across Iraq to prepare for the Women’s Conference. The Women’s Conference represents another important step forward for democracy and freedom for all Iraqi women. Earlier this week, women in Al Hilla also opened the Fatima Zahra Center for Women’s Rights, the first such center since the Liberation of Iraq. The Women’s Center will help widowed, impoverished, and vulnerable women in Al Hilla, Babil Province improve their lives and those of their children. Additional Women’s Rights Centers will open throughout the South Central area of Iraq.