Guest columnist
Women, especially, share in Iraq's newfound freedom

By Jennifer Dunn
Special to The Times

KNIGHT RIDDER NEWSPAPERS Women at February's debut meeting of Iraq's National Council for Women discuss a topic on the 600-member group's agenda.

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But as Iraqis turn their attention to the future, they must also confront their troubled past. For more than 20 years, Saddam Hussein used tactics of torture and fear to terrorize the Iraqi people and neighboring countries. Eight months after his capture by coalition forces, Saddam is being tried for war crimes and crimes against humanity by Iraqis, under Iraqi laws and procedures.

Last October, I traveled to Iraq and saw firsthand the remarkable activities that are taking place on the ground. There are now over 3,800 programs offering immediate improvement to the quality of life of all Iraqi people. Despite the lack of news coverage on these critical issues, I have been encouraged to see the tremendous progress in the reconstruction and development in various sectors of Iraqi society. The following statistics can speak for themselves:

• Nearly 2,500 schools have been renovated and 32,000 secondary-school teachers have been trained;

• Health-care spending has increased 30-fold since liberation;

• An estimated 85 percent of Iraqi children have been immunized;

• Iraq has a free press — over 100 newspapers and numerous broadcast outlets;

• Iraq has a stable currency and the value of the new dinar has already risen 25 percent.

One sector of Iraqi society where remarkable progress has been realized is in the lives of Iraqi women. After decades of repression and government-sponsored torture and abuse, Iraqi women now have access to educational and professional opportunities. And they are fully embracing the new opportunities by taking jobs as government officials, educators, small-business owners, police and security guards, and engineers. The new constitution also includes a provision calling for a target of 25 percent representation for women in the forthcoming transitional national assembly.

Upon my return from Iraq, Rep. Tom Osborne of Nebraska and I launched the Congressional Iraqi Women's Caucus. Since its establishment, we have enjoyed many opportunities to host delegations of Iraqi leaders who have traveled to the U.S. for educational and professional exchanges.

The delegations have been diverse, comprised of Shias, Sunnis, tribal leaders, doctors, judges, newly elected political leaders and members of the free press. All have shared the common goal of promoting and teaching democracy throughout Iraq, and each possessed a renewed sense of optimism founded in their commitment to a democratic Iraq that respects every one of its citizens.

One particular incident that is still fresh in my mind took place during a visit by a group of remarkable women who are leaders from Iraq. One of the leaders in the group pulled me aside to discuss the need for professional training opportunities for women. At the end of our conversation, desperate to secure U.S. support for Iraqi women, she gave me her wedding ring as a reminder of how important this funding was for the women of her country. I promised to return her ring when the grant to establish a women's center in Mosul was awarded.

I recently learned that several U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) grants have enabled a new Center for Iraqi Women to open its doors in Mosul. It is now offering counseling on women's health issues, business advice, employment and political training, and social and family services.

Now that the women's center has become a reality, I am happily returning the wedding ring to this remarkable woman who is ready to stand up to the challenges to make her nation a better place.

This is one story of success, but there are so many others that go unreported. Our country has already made great sacrifices to liberate and rebuild Iraq, and many challenges undoubtedly lie ahead.

We should all appreciate the difference our efforts have made in the lives of Iraqi people who are embracing democracy and working to make their nation a better place for future generations. Our support of the Iraqi people in their quest for freedom is too important for it to be less than unwavering.

U.S. Rep. Jennifer Dunn, R-Bellevue, represents the 8th Congressional District and co-chairs the Congressional Iraqi Women's Caucus.