Focus on Iraq

As Under Secretary of State for Democracy and Global Affairs Paula Dobriansky said after a meeting with Iraqi women:

"It is clear that the women of Iraq have a critical role to play in the future revival of their society. They bring skills and knowledge that will be vital to restoring Iraq to its rightful place in the region and in the world."

The U.S. Government is helping Iraqi women in a secure and liberated Iraq to pursue projects that they identify as the best way to achieve their goals. Administration officials have met and continue to meet with free Iraqi women, exchanging ideas about their path forward in a free and open Iraq.

If you want to help: U.S.-Iraq Women's Gift Fund

Iraq is a nation rich in culture, with a long history of intellectual and scientific achievement, especially among its women. But Saddam Hussein's brutal regime had silenced the voices of Iraq's women, along with its men, through violence and intimidation. In 1979, immediately upon coming to power, Saddam Hussein silenced all political opposition in Iraq and converted his one-party state into a cult of personality. The Iraqi people were systematically repressed, tortured, raped, and terrorized. The regime frequently imprisoned and executed people without any kind of trial.