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The war is over and U.S. troops have left. But after ten years of violence and upheaval, how are women faring in Iraq? Last week I had the privilege of speaking with Karen Sherman, director of global programs at the humanitarian organization, Women for Women International, who told me an astonishing statistic: There are more than 1 million war widows in Iraq. In a wide-ranging interview, Sherman spoke about what women are going through, their everyday struggles and concerns, and an innovative project the group has launched to help Iraq's widows develop leadership skills and receive job training.
Mona: Living in a country torn by war for more than a decade, and religious animosity between Sunnis and Shiites, what are the biggest challenges facing women in Iraq? Is it economic, lack of education and job training so that women are dependent on their male relatives to support them?
Karen: I think there are a number of competing problems, some of which are short-term. What’s uppermost is their personal safety, as the sectarian tensions seem to increase, particularly with the U. S. troop withdrawal. They’re also worried the government is not going to be there to protect their rights.
Mona: In what way?
Karen: I think right now it’s playing out in terms of heightened insecurity and fear about the future, restricted freedom of movement, the ability to go to work and seek work, and the ability to seek an education and move around freely. They’re concerned in the future this will not be available to them because of religious forces and what’s going to happen in the government.
What we see in multiple countries when there is instability is women’s rights negotiated away. You’re seeing that in Afghanistan and in Iraq, too. But what they’re very concerned about is the whittling away of their basic rights.
Mona: I was going to ask you what it means for women now that the war is over, and American troops have left, how has that improved women’s lives? How has it made the situation in the country for them worse?
Karen: I don’t know that it’s had an impact on their rights, but there have been a lot of explosions lately so women don’t feel they can freely walk around. They can’t go do their work in the marketplace. Even women who are doing somewhat well, they’re being targeted physically in terms of damage to themselves and their families.
Mona: What are WfWI staff workers seeing on the ground?
Karen: The explosions are targeting breadwinners. The areas are not well secured, particularly after the troop withdrawal.
The women we’re working with want to be hopeful. They have dreams of going back to school and being able to provide for their families. When they’re not able to move about freely, those things are very difficult to move forward with.
Mona: What population of women are you working with?
Karen We’re working with the least educated. About half the women in our program have attended primary school, and only 24 percent have attended secondary school, but it’s better than a lot of other countries, like Afghanistan. I think it’s partly due to the war. There’s been an increase in religious conservatism in Iraq. That has an impact on people sending their girl children to school.
Mona: How many women were widowed during the war in Iraq? What does that mean if you’re a widow? Does the government provide any financial support or health care?
Karen: It’s about a million—which is a really high number. Only a few of them receive pensions from the government. It’s only a drop in the bucket. They need to support themselves and their families.
We’re implementing a war widows project in Baghdad and Karbala. Women for Women International historically works with the most socially excluded women. Women who are victims of war and violence often are left as single heads of households. They’re the full providers of their family. So this 12-month program allows them to learn leadership and vocational skills and the training to go out and earn money.
We’re doing some additional work with the widows around access to health care and access to literacy.
Mona: What age are most of the women in your program?
Karen: The average age is about 34. They’re fairly young women. Some are married. Almost 20 percent of the women are widows. It’s mostly related to the war and the aftermath of war.
Mona: How long has Women for Women International been on the
