Gender discrimination and oppression against women and treating them as second-class citizens are hallmarks of the capitalist system and its reactionary Islamic and ethnocentric parties in Iraq.

  Systematic oppression and discrimination against women, whom make up over 50% of the Iraqi population, have continued since the “liberation of Iraq” as a result of rising of political Islam and its militias to power and imposing its discriminatory laws against women, often by force of arms and terrorism.

  Women have been subjected to fierce attacks and have sacrificed their rights, safety and security more than any other section of the society. Women are oppressed on two different levels; firstly with men as the leading citizens and secondly for being women, so much so that presence of women in some places is a source of shame and disgrace for women.

  This approach, based on oppression and discrimination against women, has reached its climax with the passing of new laws recently in some provinces in middle and south of Iraq. These laws require appointing mahram “companions” for female members of council, prohibiting publishing personal photos of female candidates and instead publishing photos of their husbands. They indicate contempt for women and their status by those who falsely claim they are giving equal opportunity to women in the political and governmental fields. They have also launched political campaigns to introduce compulsory veil laws on female university students and to impose sexual segregation in schools.

  Women’s emancipation will not come about without their participation in a political and class struggle. Women, along with men, must remonstrate against the capitalist system, which is merely based on the exploitation of the majority section of society for the benefit of a minority. Women’s liberation cannot come about while Islamic and ethnocentric regimes and forces are in power. Women cannot be liberated while the state and its laws are based on religion and the teachings and stipulation of Islamic Sharia, which treat women as minors who need guardianship. Women cannot be liberated and their rights cannot be achieved without an organized women’s struggle and a socialist, progressive and egalitarian movement.

  On international women’s day, we hail militant women everywhere in Iraq for their relentless endeavor to defend their lives, existence, rights and those of women under siege by despotic traditions, almighty armed forces and the violence of laws of the reactionary government.

  The Worker-communist party of Iraq, from its inception and adoption of its progressive program to create a better world for all residents of Iraq, has strongly engaged and emphasized on the struggle for women’s rights through strong participation of women themselves with the support and assistance of their Worker-communist comrades.

  Creating a better world for women, endorsing equal human and civil rights for women and ending discrimination against them are achievable. This needs uniting forces, organized ranks and a hand in hand struggle to end this gender discrimination against women, which is a disgrace for all humanity.

  Worker-communist Party of Iraq and its members, men and women, stand at the forefront of this struggle. We call on all women who would like to end sexual discrimination against women and to see women achieve their just rights to join the Worker-communist Party of Iraq in order to unite our ranks of men and women and put an end to these dark conditions, which degrade women, once and for all.

  Long lives the struggle of women in Iraq for freedom and equal rights!

  Long live March 8, the symbol of international struggle for a world based on equality! 

17th February 2010 

www.wpiraq.net