Sabbah Al Kheir sayadat al Iraq
[Good morning women of Iraq]
I am honoured and privileged to be here with you to attend this, the
first major post-Saddam event where the voice of Iraqi women can be
expressed and heard. And to bring the personal greetings to you from
Prime Minister Tony Blair and all my colleagues in the British
Government.
I know that you, who are here today, and millions of other Iraqi
women, have suffered violence, shameful brutality and loss at the hands
of Saddam and his regime. Healing and reconciliation will he hard, but
it will be possible.
I know too that life is still very hard for you and your families.
Many places are still unsafe. Problems, such as power and water
shortages, and the ongoing difficulties with security can mean a daily
struggle. I know that everyone in this room took a brave decision to
come here today, for some a difficult journey across the country but an
important journey.
It is just three months to the day since the conflict ended (April
9th). Three months since efforts began to reconstruct Iraq, after so
many years of oppression.
As our Prime Minister has said on many occasions, we did not come to
Iraq in order to replace Saddam Hussein with a foreign government or
even a UN government. We want to see Iraq run by you, the Iraqi people,
Iraq’s future shaped by all its people, women as well as men.
And I am not here today to tell women in Iraq what they should want
to do. You will decide that for yourselves. And you will have different
views, quite rightly, amongst yourselves. I am here to honour and
support your efforts and your determination to create a better future
for yourselves and your families.
You should be proud of the strong Iraqi women, many of whom are
highly educated and professional. Now is the time for the women of Iraq
to fulfil their potential.
In this rapidly evolving political process, it is so important that
you are here together today, because in every country and in every
culture, unless women speak with a strong voice, they will always be
left out in the struggle for power.
This event is a major accomplishment. Women from across the country
and from all communities have come together and have worked incredibly
hard to make all this happen. And I pay special tribute to the seven
Iraqi women elected to organise this conference.
I know too that there are many women who would have liked to be here,
to contribute to this event, but were unable to join us today. I hope
that we will all find ways to reach out to other women to share the
messages that emerge today.
Women in the UK, both Iraqi and British, fully support your plans to
speak out and play a pivotal role in rebuilding your country. I have
been meeting with many Iraqi exiled women in the UK, who have been
working hard with women inside Iraq to help support you in taking
forward your idea for this conference. And I am pleased that four of
those women are here today.
One of the strongest messages from Iraqi women is the importance of
increasing women’s role in business and the economy as a whole. That’s
why I am supporting the development of programmes to help Iraqi women
set up their own businesses.
Of course, as well as the business and the economy, the conference
today will be discussing a wide range of issues critical to the future
of Iraq, the shape of the new Iraqi constitution, legislative reform,
the direction of education and health policies. These are huge, complex
and daunting areas. We are not going to find all the solutions here
today.
But by coming together, regardless of religion, region or political
differences, and by listening and learning from each other, you have the
best possible chance to influence the future of Iraq.
In closing, these are difficult times. There is still insecurity,
instability and a long way to go before Iraq is again the country she
deserves to be.
But this is also a massively exciting time too. Everyone at today’s
conference has an important role to play in the future direction of
Iraq, many of you as future leaders.
I pledge you my full support, and urge you to keep up the pressure
for change. I believe that today’s conference will be an significant
step, not only in making the voice of Iraqi women heard, but in making
sure that Iraqi women are where they should be, at the heart of their
economy and democracy.
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