Women from Around the World Condemn Attack on Peaceful Protesters in Iraq

Women from Around the World Condemn Attack on Peaceful Protesters in Iraq and Call for an End to Sexual Assault of Women Protesters

To add your organization or individual name to the list of signatories, email madre@madre.org.

We, feminist activists, 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.

Category:

Nonprofits & Activism

Tags:

• June
• 10
• 2011
• Women's
• Freedom
• in
• Iraq

[VenusDeception1]

sending my love and light to you all!!!!