The Establishment of the General Federation of Iraqi Women (GFIW)
VI. THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE GFIW’S ACTIVITIES ON LOCAL LEVEL:
The establishment of the GFIW was a turning point in the history of the Woman's Movement in Iraq. After a long period of underground struggle, the Iraqi woman was given for the first time the opportunity to work in a positive form and amidst natural work environment under the direction of the regime which believes in woman's rights and role in the process of socialist transformation.
The Party has stressed that "the aim of liberating Arab woman from the economic, social and old legal bonds, and providing all the circumstances to her full and effective participation in the Arab society and in the Arab renaissance for which the ABSP calls stands on the top of the goals that the Party called and worked for."
The GFIW leadership has endeavored to benefit from the positive atmosphere in order to translate the Iraqi woman’s aspirations into a serious programme of action to eliminate the heavy heritage inherited from imperialism and long years of deprivation.
This led to rely on scientific and programmed formula in dealing with aspects of backwardness in stages; to achieve Hi required fundamental change within a plan to change the entire society. Thus, the Political Report of the 8th Conference of the ABSP, adopted at the end of 1974, contained list 0f priorities regarding its special programme on woman for the period 1974-79 to realize equality in the following four fields as the bases of woman's emancipation
1 - Equality in educational opportunities.
2 - Expanding the pace of woman's employment and participation in productive work and providing woman with needed professional and vocational training opportunities.
3 - Achieving legal equality.
4 - Uncovering the reactionary thoughts and trends which look upon woman from a narrow point of view (as bearer of children only).
The Report considered the woman's issue as a general political issue and not merely a "female" issue. It specified the following points of departure for action:
1 - The necessity of participation of all parties concerned in achieving the goals of the present stage.
2 - The necessity of involving woman in the development process in the different sectors.
3 - The necessity of paying special attention to woman's characteristics.
This clear specification of the goals and means to achieve them has helped the GFIW to adopt a programme of action aimed at achieving the above goals and directed to develop the Iraqi woman to enable her to enjoy her rights and perform her duties specified by the laws issued after the Revolution and within the general policy of developing the community as a whole. This has also helped to increase the CFIW's activities and develop them in an explicit way.
The most distinctive indicators of this development can be outlined as follows:
1 - On the level of the GFIW network of branches and centers, the GFIW had at the beginning of its establishment in 1969 two units only. The number rose to five in the following year. The number soared in 1979 to 478 branches and centers, while the number jumped to 1004 branches and centers by the end of 1980.
This development in the CFIW’s network took place to achieve its policy of providing its services to the Iraqi woman and achieving her desire to join the GFIW her sole representative.
2 - As for the membership volume the GFIW had 27,000 members in 1975; the number rose to 101,298 in 1978 177,336 in 1979, and the number soared to 480,000 in 1980. It is now over half a million and is increasing at rates that correspond with the successes the GFIW is achieving.
3 - The development of the GFIW is characterized by a qualitative development in its work. This is clearly shown when reviewing its cultural activities, for example, through which it endeavours to effect change in existing attitude in order to deepen the revolutionary and socialist understandings among woman masses. The Secretariat of Culture and Information has adopted a programme that aims at instructing the woman masses with the aim of eliminating reactionary thinking and overcoming the practices which downgrade woman s position in society. It used the following theoretical premises of the leading Party as a point of departure:
A - Rejection of the unfavorable look to the woman which the Party considers part of the ideology of the feudal tribal society.
B - The Party considers the mission of liberating and educating woman as part of the mission of the national socialist revolution.
The Secretariat has endeavored to carry out the following activities:
A - Organization of political meetings and film shows to orient the woman masses and focus their attention on eradicating traditions that debase woman.
B - Organization of courses to train women and qualify cultural and information cadres.
C - Development of cultural and artistic talents of conscientious young women.
D - Emphasis on the programs of self-orientation provided to women and the need to vary them and to cover all political, social and cultural fields.
E - Support of the art activities of the troupes affiliated to the GFIW (plays singing, music and folklore).
F - The cultural centers of the GFIW all over the country are centers for the attraction of women and a place for the development of mass culture and social life.
The Secretariat of Culture and Information carried out until March 15, 1980, 22,010 activities that took 59,048 hours to complete. The total number of Iraqi women who benefited from them was 1,928,929. As for the total number of the GFIW troupes there are currently 864 troupes comprising young women of different ages. The GFIW participates in developing the artistic abilities of these members and of those responsible for the different aspects of the activities of the troupes. The overall aim is that these activities will also help enrich the cultural movement in the country and direct it to effect radical change in the prevailing culture in the society. The above are only some examples of changes and developments that have occurred in the activities of the GFIW.
General Federation of Iraqi Women (GFIW)
http://www.al-moharer.net/moh233/gfiw233.htm
http://www.al-moharer.net/mohhtm/gfiw234.htm
http://www.al-moharer.net/mohhtm/gfiw4-235.htm
http://www.al-moharer.net/mohhtm/gfiw236.htm