IRAQI WOMEN HOLD A CONFERENCE IN BAGHDAD

Text of report by Iraqi Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) newspaper Al-Ta'akhi on 10 July

July 10, 2003 – (BBC Monitoring – Al-Ta’akhi, Baghdad) Under the direct auspices of the coalition forces, Iraqi women's conference was held on Tuesday [8 July] at the Conference Hall in Baghdad. More than 70 well-educated women drawn from various religions, ethnic minorities and groups, economic and legal backgrounds participated in the conference. The Secretary of Kurdistan Women Union Shireen Amedi attended the meeting.

The conference discussed a number of goals regarding running Iraqi women's affairs in general by setting up five main committees, such as constitution committee which defines women's rights within the constitution of the future Iraq, legal committee and committee of social affairs particularly health, education and teaching, development and economic committees.

In another development, the Kurdistan Women Union hailed all the sisters who participated in the conference, and expressed hope that the results and decisions will be in the interest of Iraqi women.