Women from Around the World Condemn Attack on Peaceful Protesters in Iraq and Call for an End to Sexual Assault of Women Protesters
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We, feminist activists from around the world, stand in support of our sisters and brothers peacefully demonstrating for basic rights in Baghdad's Tahrir Square.
This morning, June 10, demonstrators were brutally targeted with sexual violence and beatings by men who were reportedly bussed in by the thousands to disrupt the weekly protest. Protesters suffered broken bones, knife wounds and beatings. Several women were severely beaten and violently groped; armed attackers attempted to forcibly strip off the women's clothing. The activists, who work with the Organization of Women's Freedom in Iraq, report that their attackers were organized and paid by government security forces who used the un-uniformed men to avoid accountability for the violence.
As feminists, we strongly condemn assaults against peaceful protesters and the specifically gender-based violence against women. As in so many of our countries, the use of sexual violence against Iraqi women is designed to terrorize, shame and silence those women who dare to exercise their fundamental rights as citizens and raise political demands in the public sphere. We stand with our sisters who exercise their rights to political participation and dissent.
Today's attacks represent a noted escalation of violence against protesters in Iraq as well as a crime and a fundamental violation of human rights. We call on the government to uphold its obligations to guarantee freedom of peaceful assembly and to respond to the demands of demonstrators.
SIGNATORIES
Organizations
Ain o Salish Kendra
Asian- Pacific Resource and Research Centre for Women (ARROW)
Malaysia
Asociaci�n POR TI MUJER
Spain
Australian Women Against Violence Alliance
Central de Trabajadores de Argentina (CTA)
Cure Foundation
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Femmes en Mouvement, le Centre de femmes de la Baie-des-Chaleurs en Gasp�sie
India Women's Watch
INFORM
Sri Lanka
Initiatives: Women In Development
India
International Council of Jewish Women
International Solidarity Network – Women Living Under Muslim Laws (WLUML)
Interreligious Committee in Support of Protected Persons in Ashraf, Iraq (ICSPPAI)
US
Isis International
Leicester Branch of the Women's International League for Peace and Freedom
National Alliance of Women (NAWO India)
The Network Against Honour Related Violence
Sweden
PDF-Africa
South Asia Women's Watch
Spanish Campaign against the OCC and for the Sovereignty of Iraq
Spain
Stella, l'amie de Maimie
Table de concertation du mouvement des femmes de la Mauricie
United Methodist Women
Urgent Action Fund for Women's Human Rights
WIDE - Globalising Gender Equality and Social Justice
The Women and Media Collective
Sri Lanka
Women Human Rights Defenders International Coalition (WHRD IC)
Women Graduates-USA
Women's International League for Peace and Freedom, U.S. Section
Women's Global Network for Reproductive Rights
The Women's Support Group
Sri Lanka
World March of Women
Individuals Representing Organizations
Christine Ahn
Global Fund for Women
USA
Maha Abu-Dayyeh Shamas
Women's Center for Legal Aid and Counseling
Palestine
Jo Albright
Maryknoll Missionaries
Sally Alhak
EWU - Egyptian Women's Union
Lydia Alp�zar Dur�n
Association for Women's Rights in Development (AWID)
Ghida Anani
ABAAD-Resource Center for Gender Equality
Lebanon
Edna Aquino
Violence is Not Our Culture Campaign
Soad Baba Aissa
IFE France
France
Mar�a Atilano
Centro Vasco de Quiroga
M�xico
Radhika Balakrishnan
Center for Women's Global Leadership
USA
Bonita Banducci
Global Women's Leadership Network, Leavey School of Business, Santa Clara University
USA
Aouicha Bekhti
Party for Laicity and Democracy in Algeria
Fewzi Benhabib
Party for Laicity and Democracy in Algeria
Medea Benjamin
CODEPINK: Women for Peace
Sharon Bhagwan Rolls
femLINKPACIFIC
Betty Blake
Ma'afafine moe Famili
Tonga
Shahnaz Bokhari
Progressive Women's Association-PWA
Pakistan
Maria Butler
PeaceWomen, A project of the Women's International League for Peace and Freedom
USA
Adilia Caravaca
Liga Internacional de Mujeres pro Paz y Libertad, Seccion Costa Rica
Moulay Chentouf
Party for Laicity and Democracy in Algeria
Ottilia Chikosha
Regional Export Promotion Women's Trust
Zimbabwe
Rindai Chipfunde-Vava
Zimbabwe Election Support Network & Zimbabwe Peace Project
Zimbabwe
Mimoza Dajci
The Women's Organization "Hope & Peace"
Sarah El Jabri
OISC
Carole R. Fontaine, Ph.D.
Women Against Fundamentalism (L'integrisme) and for Equality (WAFE)
France
Patricia Guerrero
Liga de Mujeres Desplazadas
Observatory for Gender, Democracy and Human Rights
Colombia
Isabelle Geuskens
IFOR-Women Peacemakers Program
Netherlands/International
Josie Hadden
TerraFocus
USA
Helen Hakena
Leitana Nehan Women's Development Agency
Lillian Halls
European Feminist Initiative (IFE-EFI)
France
Cristina Hardaga
Tlalchinollan Human Rights Center of the Mountain of Guerrero
Mexico
Mariam Al Hasbani
Lebanese Association of Sociology
Taida Horozovic
CURE Foundation
Bosnia & Herzegovina
Lindora Howard-Diawara
West Africa Network for Peacebuilding (WANEP-Liberia)
Liberia
Hisako Motoyama
Asia Japan Women's Resource Center
Japan
Jasmin Nario-Galace
Center for Peace Education
Philippines
Lailoma Nasrat
HEWAD Reconstruction, Health and Humanitarian Assistance Committee
Afghanistan
Sameena Nazir Potohar
Organization for Development Advocacy
Pakistan
Elaine Nonneman, Trustee
Channel Foundation
Juliet Were Oguttu
Isis-WICCE
Uganda/International
Julie Ngozi Okeke
Women Initiative for Peace and Good Governance
Nigeria
Dr. Ada Okika
My Sisters Health Initiative
Pat Pleasance
UK WILPF (Women's International League for Peace and Freedom)
UK
Dianne Post
Phoenix Women Take Back the Night
USA
Elly Pradervand
Women's World Summit Fondation WWSF
Switzerland
Mahnaz Rahman
Aurat Publication Information Service Foundation
Pakistan
Nina Sankari
European Feminist Initiative- Poland
Yifat Susskind
MADRE
International
Andrea Smith
Incite! Women of Color Against Violence
USA
Josephine Teakeni
Vois Blong Mere Solomons
Lyda Verstegen
International Alliance of Women
Albin Wagener
OISC
Individuals
Jihane Abbassi
Sunila Abeysekera
Sri Lanka
Kirsten Ainley
UK
Noor Aljawad
USA
Soy Amado
USA
Heidi Andersen
Norway
Claudette Bastien
Canada
Janella Baxter
Bonnie Berry
USA
Betlem Ca�izar Bel
Jos�e B�lisle
Canada
Mahwish Bokhari
USA
Deborah Bratcher
USA
Marit Brekke
Norway
Charlotte Browne
Great Britain
Parker Brown-Nesbit
USA
Rose Burelle
Canada
Rose Burelle
Canada
B C
USA
Carole Cayer
Sarah Coleman
Australia
Ronda Cooperstein
USA
Sarah Coleman
Australia
Ronda Cooperstein
USA
Sasha Crow
Jordan
Johanna H. Cummings
USA
Cheryl Ann Dagenais
Dolli Dash
India
Jill Davey
Great Britain
Nicolas Dessaux
France
Kadidia Doumbia
USA
Emily Doutre
USA
Lasta Drvar
Meredith Eudovic
Canada
Janett Forte
Heather Frederick
Turkey
Marilyn Gabor
USA
Paola Quevedo Garzon
Myriam G�rard
Belgium
Susan Goering
USA
Shareen Gokal
Canada
Altaire Gural
Canada
Amy Hailwood
USA
Kimberly Hanson
USA
Brian Heilman
USA
Jacqueline Heinen
Switzerland
Krista Hoffman
Rea Howarth
Lib Hutchby
USA
Gail Iles
Denmark
Sholeh Irani
Sweden
Huda Jafar
Yemen
St�phane Julien
France
Lee Kanthoul
USA
Valerie Kaye
USA
Maureen & Mace Keck
USA
Greg King
USA
Dr Eliane Lagasse
Switzerland
Elizabeth Langmead
USA
Jean Kathleen Laurila
USA
Stephan L'Heureux
Japan
Dr. Helen Liebling
Lecturer-Practitioner in Clinical Psychology, Coventry University and Coventry and Warwickshire NHS Partnership Trust
Marjorie Lilley
USA
Facundo Machin
Uruguay
Dalia Mahir
Iraq
Amina Mama
USA
Sarah Masters
UK
Marti McKenna
USA
Niveditha Menon
India
Alexandria Mitchell
Canada
Pooja Mittal
USA
Rebecca Mills
Lorraine Mirham
UK
Margaret Morley
USA
Tafadzwa Muropa
Zimbabwe
Monica Murray
Madeleine Mysko
USA
Layla Naffa Hamarneh
Jordan
Shahin Navai
Zaynab Nawaz
USA
Prof. Dr. Ursula Nienhaus
Justine Nkurunziza
Burundi
Chikodi Nwaiwu
St�fanie Paquin
Rosalind Petchesky
US
Rod Perdue
USA
Bonnie Pirnie
USA
Beatriz Pirazzi, MD FACEP
USA
Eric Tyler Powell
Dr. Nicola Pratt
University of Warwick
UK
Brooke Prim
Kacee Rachels
Soudeh RAD
Eleanor Rae
USA
Swathi Rajan
USA
Raquel Michielsen Ramos
Portugal
Sonalee Rashatwar
Alexandra Reuer
Betty Robinson
USA
Denise Romesburg
USA
Stella Roque
USA
Denise Rutan
USA
Marlana Santos
Brazil
Aminah Sattar
Israel
Hely Schumann
Canada
Kimberly Short
Woroud Siger
Canada
Caroline Simpson
Great Britain
Erika Smith
Mexico
Muriel Smith
Canada
Jill Thomas
Viti Tuimabualau-Lilo
SUVA, FIJI
Most Udruzenje
Fern M. Van Gieson
Carrie Walker
USA
Amanda Weibel
Switzerland
Sarah Weirich
USA
John R. Welton
USA
Amy Wilkes
Laura Williscraft
Canada
Leah Wilson
USA
