Plight of Iraqi women still a big worry

WASHINGTON -- Iraqi women's rights deteriorated under U.S. occupation and could further worsen under Iraq's new provisional government, according to a report released Tuesday by several women's groups.

But a Bush administration official said dozens of programs in Iraq and Afghanistan are helping women get involved in politics and get better health care and education. The United States is expected to spend more than $20 billion on Iraqi humanitarian aid, which benefits women and children.

"I have not heard one Iraqi woman say life is worse for them now than it was before," said Charlotte Ponticelli, the State Department's senior coordinator for women's international issues. "They have all said, 'Thank you, thank you, thank you.' "

The Feminist Majority Foundation, the Center for Health and Gender Equity, and the Women's Environment and Development Organization gave the Bush administration a "D" grade on improving the plight of women in Iraq and Afghanistan.

This may surprise the American public because Bush promised to improve the rights of Iraqi and Afghan women before the United States invaded the countries, the groups said.

Women's welfare is also closely tied to the war against terrorism because terrorists often thrive in cultures where women are devalued, according to the groups.

Women account for half of Iraq's population, but no women held the top five positions in Iraq's interim government, said Ellie Smeal, Feminist Majority's president. Six of 33 interim Cabinet members were women.

The United States also supports a new provisional government in Iraq that includes conservative Muslims who are against women's rights, the groups said.

Women's health is worse after the U.S. occupation of Iraq and Afghanistan, partly because hospitals were looted and not enough U.S. aid is set aside for health care.

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