Women from Around the World Condemn Attack on Peaceful Protesters in Iraq and Call for an End to Sexual Assault of Women Protesters
The global campaign Violence is Not our Culture (VNC) joins our sisters at MADRE and feminist activists around the world in calling for full security of our sisters and brothers in Bagdhad's Tahrir Square, protesting peacefully for basic rights.
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
India Women's Watch
INFORM
Sri Lanka
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
South Asia Women's Watch
United Methodist Women
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 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 Alpízar Durán
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
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
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
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
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
Sameena Nazir Potohar
Organization for Development Advocacy
Pakistan
Juliet Were Oguttu
Isis-WICCE
Uganda/International
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
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
Janella Baxter
Bonnie Berry
USA
Charlotte Browne
Great Britain
Parker Brown-Nesbit
USA
Lasta Drvar
Meredith Eudovic
Canada
Heather Frederick
Turkey
Altaire Gural
Canada
Amy Hailwood
USA
Kimberly Hanson
USA
Brian Heilman
USA
Krista Hoffman
Rea Howarth
Lib Hutchby
USA
Sholeh Irani
Sweden
Huda Jafar
Yemen
Lee Kanthoul
USA
Greg King
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
Amina Mama
USA
Sarah Masters
UK
Marti McKenna
USA
Pooja Mittal
USA
Rebecca Mills
Lorraine Mirham
UK
Margaret Morley
USA
Monica Murray
Layla Naffa Hamarneh
Jordan
Shahin Navai
Zaynab Nawaz
USA
Justine Nkurunziza
Burundi
Rosalind Petchesky
US
Bonnie Pirnie
USA
Eric Tyler Powell
Brooke Prim
Eleanor Rae
USA
Swathi Rajan
USA
Denise Romesburg
USA
Kimberly Short
Erika Smith
Mexico
Muriel Smith
Canada
Viti Tuimabualau-Lilo
SUVA, FIJI
Most Udruzenje
Fern M. Van Gieson
Carrie Walker
USA
Amanda Weibel
Switzerland
Sarah Weirich
USA
Amy Wilkes
Laura Williscraft
Canada
Leah Wilson
USA
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