| Speeches,
books
& articles:
Iraqi Women: Untold Stories
from 1948 to the Present
by Nadje Sadig Al-Ali (founder member
of Act Together)
Zed Books, 2007 The war in Iraq has put the condition
of Iraqi women firmly on the global agenda. For years,
their lives
have been
framed by state oppression, economic sanctions and
three wars. Now they must play a seminal role in reshaping
their country’s future for the twenty-first century. |
 |
Nadje Al-Ali challenges the myths
and misconceptions which have dominated debates about Iraqi
women, bringing a much needed
gender perspective to bear on the central political issue of
our time. She traces the political history of Iraq from post-colonial
independence, to the emergence of a women’s movement
in the 1950s and Saddam Hussein’s early policy of state
feminism. The book also discusses the increases in social conservatism,
domestic violence and prostitution, and shows that, far from
being passive victims, Iraqi women have been, and continue
to be, key political actors. Following the invasion and occupation,
al-Ali analyses the impact of Islam on women’s lives
and argues that US-led calls for liberation may in the long
term serve to oppress the women of Iraq further.
See more on the book.
Read review in Dar Al Hayat
Read review in Le Monde diplomatique
See
here for articles written by members of Act Together |
