[Congressional Record Volume 152, Number 29 (Wednesday, March 8, 2006)]
[Senate]
[Pages S1882-S1884]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                       INTERNATIONAL WOMEN'S DAY

  Mrs. FEINSTEIN. Mr. President, I rise today to commemorate March 8, 
2006, International Women's Day. It is an undeniable fact that as the 
world becomes more interconnected, societies which value women's rights 
and include them in the political, economic, and civic process have a 
greater chance of prospering and contributing to international peace 
and stability.
  Nowhere is this more evident than in Iraq. We all know that in order 
for Iraq to succeed as a nation, women must play an integral role in 
the government and women's rights must be treated as fundamental human 
rights. While much work remains to be done in Iraq, I am pleased to see 
that women are playing a prominent and active role in the government.
  As such, it is a great honor to not only commemorate, March 8, 2006, 
International Women's Day but also

[[Page S1883]]

welcome a distinguished guest, Dr. Jinan Jasim Ali Al Ubaidi, a newly 
elected member to Iraq's Council of Representatives, who will be my 
guest and accompany me throughout the day.
  A member of the Supreme Council for Islamic Revolution party, Dr. 
Ubaidi is a graduate of Baghdad University and practiced medicine at 
Najaf Hospital prior to the fall of the Hussein regime.
  Dr. Ubaidi and her female colleagues in the Council of 
Representatives are now confronting issues which will determine the 
future of women's rights in Iraq.
  This is a critical juncture and one key question they face is. What 
will be the extent of sharia in Iraq and how will it affect women's 
rights in that country?
  Article 14 of Iraq's Constitution states that ``Iraqis are equal 
before the law without discrimination based on gender.'' Article 2 of 
the Constitution maintains that ``no law that contradicts the 
established provisions of Islam may be established.''
  Some people believe that it will be difficult to reconcile the two 
articles and still provide women with fundamental rights in Iraq. I, 
for one, believe that Islam and women's rights can go hand in hand and 
there is an opportunity to advance these rights in a new Iraq.
  While the women in the Iraqi National Assembly will do their part, 
the United States and the international community need to play a vital 
role in advancing the role of women in Iraq.
  Specifically, we should continue to promote democracy related 
training programs, female education programs, and assist with judicial 
reform and Islamic jurisprudence training so that women will become 
part of the social, political, and economic fabric of Iraq.
  Gains for women's rights have been made in other Muslim countries 
such as Indonesia and Morocco, and we should look to them as examples.
  In Morocco, successful efforts to raise the marriage age for women 
from 15 to 18, abolish polygamy, and equalize the right to divorce have 
been made. In Indonesia, Musdah Mulia, the chief researcher at the 
Ministry of Religious Affairs, has sparked considerable debate within 
that country by calling for changes in the areas of wearing a hijab and 
marriage based on Islamic jurisprudence. Although such rules have not 
been enacted, further debate on the issue is a positive step.
  A nongovernmental organization in Indonesia, known as the Indonesian 
Society for Pesantren and Community Development, has also been using 
Islamic jurisprudence to promote women's reproductive rights and family 
planning education within religious schools there. These are all 
progressive steps toward promoting women's rights in the Islamic world.
  In the near future, an Iraqi government will be formed that will make 
important decisions on the role of women and sharia. The United States 
must do everything within its power to ensure that women's rights are 
fully incorporated into every aspect of Iraqi life.
  We must continue to support education and leadership initiatives, 
economic empowerment programs, and specifically judicial reform, all of 
which will seek to increase the role of women government and assist 
Iraq's transition to a stable and democratic state.
  Let us also not forget about the women in Afghanistan. Under the 
Taliban regime, women were brutally oppressed and women's rights were 
virtually nonexistent.
  Women in public were forced to cloak themselves head to toe while 
being accompanied by a male relative. If they failed to do so, they 
risked being beaten mercilessly.
  Furthermore, most Afghan women were restricted by the Taliban from 
working, receiving an education, visiting doctors, or accepting 
humanitarian aid.
  Now, women in Afghanistan have the opportunity to build a better life 
for themselves and their families. It is no longer illegal for women to 
work, and millions of Afghan girls now attend school.
  The United States has provided grants to establish the Ministry of 
Women's Affairs, assisted Afghan nongovernmental organizations, created 
opportunities for income generation in the private sector, and 
supported opportunities for women in agriculture and rural 
environments.
  The Foreign Operations, Export Financing, and Related Programs 
Appropriations Act, 2006, included a $50 million earmark for programs 
directly addressing the needs of Afghan women and girls.
  However, many challenges remain for women in Afghanistan.
  Although women may legally work, many still face serious challenges 
to finding job opportunities. For them, it is extremely difficult to 
find jobs close to home, with tolerable hours, and reasonable pay.
  Additionally, although education is currently on the rise, most 
Afghan women have had little or no formal job training, which prevents 
them from gaining meaningful employment.
  Finally, women still face conservative attitudes about their 
political participation in many rural areas of the country.
  The United States must not forget about these women. We must continue 
to advance women's rights in Afghanistan because if we do not, our 
tireless efforts there will have been in vain.
  Therefore, I urge my colleagues to stay the course and support 
additional assistance for education, health care, and democracy 
training for women and girls in Afghanistan during the years ahead.
  There are a great many challenges that face women today, and there 
are a great many challenges that faced women in the past. Issues such 
as the role of women in Iraq and Afghanistan are no less daunting than 
women's suffrage seemed in 1920. As such, there is cause for optimism 
on International Women's Day.
  Yet we must remain vigilant in our fight for justice and gender 
equality around the world.
  The United States must remain a leader by proactively addressing 
these women's issues. I am confident that if we tirelessly continue to 
fight for gender equality, we can find workable solutions to address 
the problems that women face around the world.
  Mrs. CLINTON. Mr. President, today is International Women's Day, a 
chance for us to reflect upon the status of women around the globe, 
recognize their achievements, and recommit ourselves to ensuring that 
women can fully realize the rights with which all humans are endowed.
  There is much for women to celebrate this year. Women in Kuwait were 
granted the right to vote and run for office, while women in 
Afghanistan exercised their right to vote in November's elections. In 
Tanzania, and Burundi, among other countries, the number of women 
serving in elected office increased to record levels. In all parts of 
the world, women are seizing opportunities to weigh in with their 
governments on the issues of greatest importance to their lives. But 
there is still so much work to be done to help women achieve equal 
rights and equal protection.
  The culture of corruption apparent in far too many countries has a 
disproportionate impact upon women. In Latin America, women have 
disappeared or been killed without proper criminal investigations. In 
other countries, women who have endured rape or sexual abuse experience 
further stigmatization and punishment, including forced detainment and 
death threats. All across the globe, women and girls are trafficked 
across borders, often with the knowledge of local officials who 
tolerate the presence of their captors. We need to devote more energy 
to making our communities safer for women, ensure that crimes against 
women are given fair and full consideration by law enforcement, and 
that bribery and cronyism do not dilute the rule of law.
  Women, the caregivers in families and communities around the world, 
must also have the opportunity to seek and receive appropriate health 
care. More than 500,000 women each year die of largely preventable 
pregnancy-related complications, while millions more suffer injuries, 
like obstetric fistulas, for which they cannot get treatment. In many 
countries in sub-Saharan Africa, where AIDS has had the greatest 
impact, the majority of young women still do not have adequate 
knowledge of the ways in which HIV is transmitted. Girls and women 
account for 70 percent of the world's hungry, and malnutrition in 
pregnant women

[[Page S1884]]

leads to deficiencies in their children's development. We need to 
recognize the way that gender inequality contributes to disease and 
address these disparities through increased education and outreach and 
equal access to medical treatment and support services.
  As international trade transforms economies around the world, we must 
ensure that women have equal access to these opportunities. In one-
third of the world, women are the breadwinners for their families. 
Female farmers account for 80 percent of the agricultural workforce in 
Africa, and 60 percent in Asia. Yet despite their contributions to the 
economy, women make up 60 percent of the world's working poor, 
struggling to survive on less than one dollar a day. They are too often 
placed in situations of informal employment--temporary or part-time 
positions that do not offer a formal salary or benefits. We must ensure 
that all girls and women have access to educational opportunities that 
can lead to employment at an adequate wage, and that women receive fair 
compensation for labor performed outside a traditional workplace 
setting.
  It has been more than a decade since I traveled to Beijing for the 
Fourth World Conference on Women. This week, the Commission on the 
Status of Women at the United Nations is convening to evaluate the 
progress we have made in achieving the goals we set at that time. We 
must work to ensure that the commitments we made then become reality 
now. I will continue to work with my colleagues in Congress and 
counterparts in other governments to create a world in which every 
woman is treated with respect and dignity, every boy and girl is loved 
and cared for equally, and every family has the hope of a strong and 
stable future.

                          ____________________