Iraqi Women Under Siege

This report sheds some light on the history of Iraqi women's rights and status prior to the war to recent context. It also aims to dispel 'myths, misconceptions and even outright lies about Iraqi women's roles and status.' (3) In the preface, Dr. Nadje Al-Ali asserts that although Saddam Hussein's dictatorship undeniably and systematically oppressed women, Iraqi women were among the better off in the region. She goes on further to say that Iraqi women's agency has been challenged by being relegated to the home and subject to stricter private mores. (3) The CODE PINK report also makes regional distinctions by including and analyzing Iraqi Kurdistan separately.