Pratt, Nicola Christine (2005) Gendering political reconstruction in Iraq. Working Paper. University of East Anglia, Norwich.

Preview

PDF WRAP_Pratt_0873082-150709-nicola20pratt.pdf - Requires a PDF viewer such as GSview, Xpdf or Adobe Acrobat Reader Download (200Kb)

Abstract

This paper evaluates current US policies towards political reconstruction in Iraq using a gendered lens in order to identify the impact upon women and gender relations. I will argue that, despite an apparent high-level political commitment to Iraqi women within the US administration, current policies towards Iraq are not helping to reduce gender inequalities. This is because US measures that are targeted at women alone do not consider women’s position within gender relations and, therefore, do little to address the question of gender relations. Certain US policies, such as de-Baathification and the establishment of governance mechanisms along sectarian/communal lines, have exacerbated trends that contribute to increasing gender inequalities, as well as helping to fuel the current violence. These trends bring into question Iraqi women’s ability to fully participate in the public sphere, despite many efforts by Iraqi women’s groups to protect and promote women’s rights in post-Ba‘th Iraq.

Item Type:	Working or Discussion Paper (Working Paper)
Subjects:	H Social Sciences > HQ The family. Marriage. Woman D History General and Old World > DS Asia
Divisions:	Faculty of Social Sciences > Politics and International Studies
Library of Congress Subject Headings (LCSH):	Iraq War, 2003-, Women in politics -- Iraq, Women -- Social conditions -- Iraq, Iraq -- Foreign relations -- Iraq, Iraq -- Social conditions
Series Name:	UEA Papers in European & International Studies
Publisher:	University of East Anglia
Place of Publication:	Norwich
ISBN:	1745-9516
Date:	2005
Number:	3/2005
Number of Pages:	24
Status:	Peer Reviewed
Access rights to Published version:	Open Access
References:	Ahmed, N. (4 February 2005), trans. Mark K. Jensen, ‘An Iraqi woman’s journal’, originally published in Le Monde, hosted by Occupation Watch, http://www.occupationwatch.org/article.php?id=9204&printsafe=1, accessed on 17 February 2005 Al-Ali, N. (2003) ‘Women and Economic Sanctions in Iraq’, in S. Inati (ed.) Iraq: History, People and Politics, Philadelphia: Prometheus Press Alkadiri, R. and Toensing, C. (20 August 2003) ‘The Iraqi Governing Council’s Sectarian Hue’, Middle East Report Online, in http://www.merip.org/mero/mero082003.html Amnesty International (31 March 2004) Violence against Women Increases Sharply, in http://news.amnesty.org/index/ENGMDE14310320042004 Belhachmi, Z. (March 2004) Contexualizing Women in Iraqi Governance: Al-Nassiriyah Model, report for the Local Governance Program, RTI Cockburn, C. (2004) ‘The continuum of violence: a gender perspective on war and peace”, in W. Giles and J. Hyndman (eds.) Sites of Violence: Gender and Conflict Zones, Berkeley: University of California Press Cole, S. and Cole, J. (7 March 2004) ‘Veil of Anxiety over Women’s Rights’, Los Angeles Times, in http://www.occupationwatch.org Cordesman, A. (20 July 2004) Iraq Security: Inexcusable Failure, Washington, D.C.: CSIS, in http://www.csis.org/features/iraq_inexcusablefailure.pdf CSIS Post-conflict Reconstruction Project (September 2004) Progress or Peril? Measuring Iraq’s Reconstruction, Washington, D.C.: CSIS. Diamond, L. (2004) ‘What went wrong in Iraq’, Foreign Affairs, September/October, in http://www.foreignaffairs.org, accessed on 16 February 2005 Elich, G. (28 July 2004) Assault on Iraqi Women, in http://www.aljazeera.net Feminist Daily News Wire (26 March 2004) Women’s Rights Groups in Iraq Threatened, in http://www.feminist.org/news/newsbyte/uswirestory.asp?id=8362 Galtung, J. (1996) Peace by Peaceful Means: Peace and Conflict, Development and Civilization, Thousand Oaks, California: Sage Human Rights Watch (5 March 2004) Interim Constitution Shortchanges Women, in http://hrw.org/english/docs/2004/03/05/iraq7936.htm Human Rights Watch (July 2003) Climate of Fear: Sexual Violence and Abduction of Women and Girls in Baghdad, in http://hrw.org/reports/2003/iraq0703/H Hunt, S. and Posa, C. (2004) ‘Iraq’s Excluded Women’, Foreign Policy, July/August Jaber, F. (2003) ‘Sheikhs and ideologues: deconstruction and reconstruction of tribes under patrimonial totalitarianism in Iraq, 1968–1998’, in F. Jaber and H. Dawod (eds.) Tribes and Power: Nationalism and Ethnicity in the Middle East, London: Saqi Iraq Occupation Watch, http://www.occupationwatch.org IWF - http://www.iwf.org/about_iwf/default.asp Mercer, K. (1990) ‘Welcome to the Jungle: Identity and Diversity in Postmodern Politics’, in J. Rutherford (ed.) Identity, Community, Culture, Difference, London: Lawrence & Wishart Office of the Senior Coordinator for International Women’s Issues Washington, D.C. (23 September 2004) ‘US Commitment to Women in Iraq’, in http://www.state.gov/g/wi/rls/36751.htm, accessed on 11 October 2004 Pratt, N. (September 1997) Legacy of the Corporatist State: Workers’ Responses to Economic Liberalization in Egypt, unpublished dissertation, University of Exeter, . Rangwala, G. (2005) ‘Democratic transition and its limitations’, in A. Danchev and J. Macmillan (eds.) The Iraq War and Democratic Politics, London: Routledge Traub, J. (11 April 2004) ‘Making Sense of the Mission’, New York Times Magazine, accessed at http://www.wehaitians.com/making%20sense%20of%20the%20the%20missio n.html Tripp, C. (2000) A History of Iraq, Cambridge: CUP. UNIFEM, “Gender Profile of the Conflict in Iraq”, http://www.WomenWarPeace.org, accessed 1 November 2004 USINFO (27 September 2004) ‘Iraqi Women Receiving Democracy Training Ahead of Elections’, in http://www.state.gov/mena/Archive/2004/Sep/27-387029.html Voice of Women in Iraq Conference (9 July 2003), in http://www.globalsecurity.org/wmd/library/news/iraq/2004/01/iraq-040109-28015pf.htm Wolfowitz, P. (1 February 2004) Op-ed, The Washington Post, hosted at the US Department of State, in http://www.state.gov/g/wi/28686.htm, accessed on 17 February 2005 Women for Women International (January 2005) Report on Gender Equality in Iraq, Washington, DC Wong, E. (6 February 2005) ‘Leading Shiite Clerics Pushing Islamic Constitution in Iraq’, New York Times, hosted by Occupation Watch, http://www.occupationwatch.org/article.php?id=9116&printsafe=1, accessed on 17 February 2005
URI:	http://wrap.warwick.ac.uk/id/eprint/1088

Request changes to a record

Actions (login required)

View Item