WOMENS PAGE

www.rmt.org.uk :: april 2006 :: RMTnews 19 The occupation of Iraq – which is now been in place for three years – were undertaken allegedly to bring “democracy”, end terrorism, and “liberate” the people from the torture chamber Saddam had made of the whole country. Judged by these war aims, the whole adventure has been an unmitigated failure. But there is more. Iraq today is a war zone, constantly convulsed by violence and reactionary terrorism. The regime in Iraq is tailor- made to serve the interests of the occupiers. As such it lacks all mass legitimacy and its institutions are perceived as abject failures. After three years, even the basic requirements for security and basic amenities have not been restored. OPPRESSION OF WOMEN IN IRAQ The position of women is the starkest example of the general societal failure. They are being murdered to satisfy backward concepts of “honour”, they are kidnapped for ransom or as a result of political disputes and they are being beheaded by Islamists for not wearing the veil. The vile oppression of women is not simply occurring through these ‘informal’ channels, however. In the regime’s prisons, the abuse and torture of female inmates is endemic. The Organisation of Women’s Freedom in Iraq (OWFI) has exposed the existence of a women’s prison in the district of Alkazemiah where many women have been raped, tortured and continuously abused by the prison guards. Unemployment is widespread and in the city of Nassreyah recently the Iraqi police opened fire on a protest of the out-of- work that was demanding the simple right of work or benefits. Three years after of the overthrow of Saddam the dictator, the ordinary people of this beleaguered county are living in fear and instability. The occupation and the rise in Islamism it has provoked is leading our society into black hole of terrorism, Islamic fascism and the prospect, for women in particular, of a new dark ages. Groups such as Al-Qaeda, Zarqawi, Moqteda Alsadr and others use the fact of the occupation to uphold their “legitimate right” to kill, kidnap, take hostages, attack civilians and bolster the most backward and misogynist norms in Iraqi society. Their struggle has nothing to do with the genuine liberation of Iraq. The only forces that been struggling to both end the occupation and defeat the Islamists in Iraq are the secular and progressive women’s and workers’ movement. On a daily basis, these movements confront both these reactionary, anti- democratic forces. The occupation of Iraq is not a local issue. The form it takes is a struggle between two reactionary forces - US imperialism and a resurgent political Islam that defines itself against the west. This is what makes this confrontation an international question. But this clash does not tell the whole story about Iraq. The existence of many progressive and secular mass organisations, with a clear vision to end the occupation and combat Islamism, is a historical fact. Civilized humanity must understand that an end to the occupation of Iraq must be won by progressive forces. This struggle needs the support and solidarity from people across the world. The Iraq occupation, the puppet regime it has imposed and the Islamists will do nothing for people in Iraq, whether they are in power or in opposition. The key to freedom and progress lies with the struggles of the working class and women. With international solidarity, they alone can lift the darkness that now threatens to engulf Iraqi society. What a year. It started with meeting Scottish Ministers to promote women’s issues such as violence against women and their families, asylum seekers and the Women and Work Commission. I tried to impress on the Commission that child care was a prime issue concerning whether women worked part- time or full-time and that not everyone worked nine to five. Child care does not facilitate shift workers. Whether this was taken on board remains to be seen when the final report is published this year. I addressed the Scottish Trade Union Congress, which was certainly different from moving motions. I also chaired a seminar at the Scottish Executive on women’s safety at work. It was disturbing that the representative from the Crown Office described how assaults etc had to be corroborated. This can be difficult for the rail industry as lone working is common and the public are not always forthcoming in being witnesses. My geography has also improved as I travelled to places from Dundee to Swansea. I also attended the TUC Women’s in Scarborough, Welsh TUC Women’s in Swansea and the Scottish TUC Women’s in Glasgow, which this year I chaired. This was a great honour as it is the first time it was chaired by a member of a rail union. RMT motions at the Welsh and Scottish Women’s Conferences were both on Parental Leave. These were delivered by Mandy Evans and Carol Houston, respectively. Both were first time speakers and had no problem moving these motions. International Women’s Day was a focal point in my diary and included speaking at an event in the Royston Learning Centre on the east side of Glasgow. The theme was women in traditional male industries. Also on my list of duties was a joint meeting with the women’s committees within the national and international trade union movement in London. At the STUC Women’s conference, 28 motions were tabled for debate. These ranged from domestic abuse, homelessness, equal pay and family friendly policies. My term of office is now over but as I was re-elected onto the committee the work still continues. I would like to thank RMT members for their support, especially this past year. I will continue to make sure that women’s issues are kept on the agenda. Janet Cassidy THE FAILURES OF THE OCCUPATION OF IRAQ Houzan Mahmoud of Organisation of Women’s Freedom in Iraq recently addressed RMT women’s conference RMT member Janet Cassidy looks back over a year as chair of the STUC women’s committee MY YEAR REPRESENTING WOMEN WOMEN