[Congressional Record Volume 149, Number 75 (Tuesday, May 20, 2003)]
[Senate]
[Pages S6657-S6658]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                         IRAQI AND AFGHAN WOMEN

  Mr. REID. Mr. President, over the past year and a half I have spoken 
on many occasions of including women in the reconstruction of 
Afghanistan. Since then we have seen the inclusion of two women cabinet 
members give hope to the women of Afghanistan. We have also learned the 
inclusion of only two women is certainly not enough. Greater 
representation of women is necessary in Afghanistan. Likewise, Iraqi 
women should play some part, and I believe an important one, in the 
rebuilding of their country. Iraqi

[[Page S6658]]

women should be an effective force for peace, for democracy, and for 
human rights. Women must be included, and not just symbolically but 
substantively, in the charting of the future of these two nations. So 
today I urge the Bush administration to, No. 1, ensure women are 
included as full participants in the new government of Iraq and, No. 2, 
that there be an improvement and expansion of our security mission in 
Afghanistan so that women are free to fully participate all over that 
country.
  The first U.S.-sponsored planning meetings for Iraq give me concern. 
In a meeting of Iraqi expatriates in London, 3 out of 65 participants 
were women. Women at this meeting urged greater representation in 
subsequent meetings, but at the next meeting in Iraq in April there 
were still only 4 women out of 80 participants. In fact, women were 
losing, not gaining, representation in Iraq. Women must be included in 
leadership roles in the planning of the new interim government as well 
as in cabinet positions in the interim government itself.
  In spite of Saddam Hussein's impression, women in Iraq have a proud 
history and involvement in the workforce in public service. We can't 
let this history be lost.
  In recent history women have held 20 percent of Iraq's parliamentary 
seats which is significantly more than the 3.5 percent average among 
Arab states. Let me repeat that: In the Iraq parliament, 20 percent of 
the seats were held by women and in the rest of the Middle East Arab 
states 3.5 percent women are in the parliamentary seats. Even though 
many of these parliaments--in fact, I think I could say all of them, 
are really not without a lot of power--I am sorry, they are without a 
lot of power--it still says a great deal as to the makeup of these 
parliamentary bodies--3.5 percent as the average among Arab states.
  We need to do better in Iraq. We need to do better in Afghanistan. 
Iraqi women prior to the war held professional jobs. They were well 
represented in medicine, engineering, academia, and in civil service. 
In 2002, 38 percent of Iraqi doctors were women.
  Women in Iraq are well educated. Last year, almost 35 percent of 
university and polytechnic students in Iraq were women.
  We also cannot allow a lack of security to destroy women's rights in 
Iraq as they have done and continue to do in Afghanistan. Frightened by 
the chaos and lawlessness on the streets of Baghdad, many Iraqi women 
are prisoners in their own homes. Few, if any, women are seen in 
public. The markets and the gas stations are occupied almost entirely 
by men. This is a grim picture for a country whose women have enjoyed a 
level of independence that is unusual in most Arab countries.
  Security problems are eroding the hope of many Afghan women, as well, 
and it is a concern. In light of this situation, I was pleased to see 
that Germany's Chancellor, who is the head of the International 
Security Assistance Force (ISAF), has called for an expansion of this 
international peace-keeping mission in Afghanistan. This request is 
supported by UN officials, Afghan women leaders, humanitarian 
organizations and women's rights groups and even by Congress.
  Last year, we passed the Afghan Freedom Support Act, a bi-partisan 
initiative--which called for expansion of peace-keeping forces. The 
President signed this legislation into law, but still, we have no 
expansion of ISAF, International Security Assistance Force, in 
Afghanistan.
  Afghanistan cannot wait much longer for improvements in security. In 
some areas, warlords are imposing Taliban-like restrictions on women 
and girls. Girls schools have been bombed. Humanitarian aid workers 
have been killed. Security in the southern part of the country is so 
bad that UN workers now have to be accompanied by armed guards.
  This fall, Afghans will assemble to adopt a Constitution. One year 
from now, elections will be held--we hope. Only if security is 
dramatically improved throughout the country will it be possible for 
people who advocate women's rights and human rights to participate in 
deliberations about their constitution. Fair and democratic voter 
registration and elections will not happen without improvements in the 
security situation. Without proper security, without the full inclusion 
of women in the constitution, and without the ability for women to 
participate in elections as voters and candidates, women's rights will 
have no chance in Afghanistan.
  We have won the war in both Iraq and Afghanistan--the military has 
certainly triumphed--but we are in jeopardy of losing the peace. Women 
in Afghanistan and Iraq--indeed the citizens of these nations, and the 
world community will not be able to sustain this loss.
  I suggest the absence of a quorum.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will call the roll.
  The assistant legislative clerk proceeded to call the roll.
  Mr. DASCHLE. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order 
for the quorum call be rescinded.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.

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