Iraqi women suffering since February bombing of Shiite mosque

"Life has become more difficult for most Iraqis since the February bombing of a Shiite Muslim mosque in Samarra sparked a rise in sectarian killings and overall lawlessness. For many women, though, it has become unbearable.
. . . Iraqi women had been earning university degrees since the 1920s.
. . . Then came the 1980s war with Iran and the embargo imposed after the 1991 Persian Gulf War. Hussein, who began embracing Islamic and tribal traditions as a way to consolidate power, forbade women younger than 45 to travel abroad without a male relative.
Encouraged by Bush, women began to reassert themselves after 2003. But the collapse of security, the absence of the rule of law and the presence of extremist groups have weakened the budding movement, activists said.
. . . Muna Nouri, 52, a high school teacher, doesn't want to leave.
. . . "I consider myself and my daughters liberated women," she said. "We go out and walk in the street. That was last year even. But this year, it's more difficult. Every day, it's worse than the day before."

source
The Washington Post. Women Lose Ground in the New Iraq. December 16, 2006.

posted: sunday, december 17, 2006, 6:24 PM ET

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