Reporter Phil Sands of The National has the story
of two women who are active in Iraq's "Awakening Councils." The entire
story deserves a read, but most striking is the problem of widows in
Iraq.
"About 40 per cent of women here are widows. Each family has lost
someone and those that get killed are usually the men of the house, the
husbands and sons," says Zeitoun Maraad, an Awakening Council member
who started a sewing co-operative for women. "If you don’t have proof
your husband died, then there are no benefits from the government."
In a country where bodies are dumped in trash piles and kidnapping is
endemic this is a tall order. Here's how it's played out for one Iraqi
widow:
Aider Hasan Aziz, a 41-year-old mother of five is in such a situation.
Her husband was a police officer but eventually stopped going to work
after receiving death threats from militants who said he was a traitor.
On Sept 6 2007, he was kidnapped from their home in broad daylight by
masked gunmen and has not been heard from since.
“He is still
missing,” Mrs Aziz said. “In the beginning I was just crying all the
time. Other women helped me though and I became stronger. I started
doing beauty treatments at home to earn money, and I gained courage
from being around other women.”
She was selected for the local
council in Al Rashid and now campaigns for greater rights for women and
children. She also keeps a rifle in her house, ready to defend herself
and her sons.
“I applied for widow’s benefits and looked for
help from the government. I had heard lots of promises from them but
nothing ever came,” she said. “In the end it was the Americans that
gave me a small grant to open a workshop.
“My situation isn’t
perfect but there are many women in a worse position than me. But I
feel more positive than I have in a long time, and I think we’re going
to help free ourselves and improve our lives.”
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