Organization for Women’s Freedom in Iraq (OWFI)–Remarkable Accomplishments Under Desperate and Dangerous Conditions

Oct 272008

By any standard, the Organization for Women’s Freedom in Iraq (OWFI) is a remarkable organization. The amazing projects that they have been able to bring to fruition during the last 5 years, often at extreme risk, are an inspiration to us all. As they write in the introduction to their latest annual report:

After 5 years of struggle for our rights in Iraq
these slogans stay raised
Although inconvenient for current politics,
tribal heads, and clerics
We will never compromise our full rights for any reason

Here are some of the highlights of their work during the last year:

Defending female detainees who are randomly accused of terrorism and are on death row. International campaigns were launched as a result of OWFI’s work. Campaigns against Capital punishment and these death sentences started as a result.
Anti-trafficking team outreach into the “women’s abuse district” offers some of the victims a way out through OWFI shelters.
Opening a transitional shelter in Baghdad. Honour-killing and trafficking victims from Mosul, Najaf, and Baghdad take refuge in Owfi shelters. This shelter is a stop over before going to the safer and more secure shelter of the suburbs. Opening Owfi’s new main shelter in the suburbs. Women’s team for the suburb shelter training women to respect and protect those who escape honour killings.
Al Mousawat Media Center continues to publish paper in Arabic and English. A new women-friendly youth publication is issued: “freedom space”, in addition to updates and bulletins.
Movement Building Winter Poetry Pestival. Hundreds of youth participate. They are from Sadre city, Al Madaen and many of the other districts which are dominated by fundamentalist militias.
OWFI attracts more than a thousand member and friend to the IWD event in Technology University in Baghdad where awards of recognition were given to women.
Movement Building Summer Annual Festival in a central Baghdad park. OWFI holds her biggest poetry, theater, and music annual festival of the “freedom space”. Young leaderships emerge and are in charge of multiplying the movement.