2009.01.12
Effects of War, III: Women, the Solution
Previously, my writings have discussed the effects of war in Iraq. The focus was on the littered landscape and the orphaned children. There are other effects and the answer to the question: How do we deal with these effects?
Waste management is just one obvious public service. Others include water treatment, electrical distribution, fire suppression, road maintenance and medical treatment. In a rebuilding nation, these services can never be assumed.
The effect on the children is more unsettling. Some readers could imagine losing power for an afternoon during a bad ice storm. However, the prospect of one out of five of our children, grandchildren, nephews, cousins and neighbors as orphans is disturbing and unfathomable.
When men die in war, they not only leave behind fatherless children, they also leave behind widows. These widows are the sisters, daughters, cousins and neighbors of the community. In a society centered on men, where women largely stay home and keep to their own, it is difficult to imagine where they should turn, especially for them.
Although the future of this emerging democracy looks promising for women, it may take a short while before they truly enjoy basic freedoms that U.S. women take for granted.
Voting, speaking in public, working, and socializing are rights that American women gained after 130 years of its existence as a republic. However, in the wake of war, Iraqi women were at the mercy of the ideology of whatever group of men controlled the area in which they lived. For a time after 2003, education and employment opportunities for women declined while conservative dress became more common, as in the covering of the head and face with a hijab.
Ultimately, the question is this: How can the U.S. fix public services and raise the living standard of women and children? The short answer is we cannot. Only the government of Iraq and Iraqi citizens can.
The U.S. can guide the Iraqis to a solution. But imposing one would discredit the sovereignty of the Iraqi Government and because of that, Iraqis would reject it. For example, when U.S. soldiers hand out items to Iraqi children, the soldiers unintentionally undermine local community leaders, who must be the center of power.
As we transition to focusing on the success of a rebuilding government, the new focus of our measures of effectiveness will include the amount of trash on the landscape, the availability of quality public services, the number of children on the streets, and the levels of freedom and opportunity for women.
The Iraqis must and will take ownership of these issues. In the meantime, the U.S. will continue to nudge them.
Lieutenant Jay Alaniz hands out candy to Iraqi children.
This post was originally printed on page 4 of the Virginia Section of the Roanoke Times on 12JAN2009.
Rich,
I know the feeling of being overwhelmed by the scope of the problems facing you. You are right in saying the the Iraqi's themselves must solve them. All we can do is ameliorate individual situations as we can. It seems we see the childrens problems first (our presence as Soldiers is a magnet for them) and we don't see the daily struggles of the women.
It tugs at our humanity, take care.
Mike
Comment by mike thorne — January 14, 2009 @ 1:34 pm
Mike, I read a book recently, "A Thousand Splendid Suns" by Khaled Hosseini. I highly recommend it. The ladies have it lucky here in Iraq compared to the Afghan women. Goodness.
Nevertheless, I have high hopes for the women of what looks to be a country that will be friends with the U.S. for generations to come.
Comment by richconnaroe — January 17, 2009 @ 10:13 am
If the American soldiers hand the stuff directly to children and citizens, it will get to where it's supposed to go. IF they hand it over to village elders to maintain their supposed authority, it will be stolen and sold on the black market. I say to hell with village elders' authority (which is a polite mask of deception any way), and keep on handing it over directly to the children.
Comment by Nancy Gee — January 18, 2009 @ 3:50 pm
I talked to a woman in the supermarket yesterday who was in the midst of training a seeing-eye dog. She went through the various stages of training and how long it took totally: two years.
An American seeing eye dog has more education than an Iraqi community leader. I just don't see why we need to pretend respect for them. Unless, of course, they've earned it somehow.
Comment by Nancy Gee — January 18, 2009 @ 3:53 pm
Nancy,
In reality, it is possible for a local leader in Iraq to have less than two years of formal education. You are saying that we should not respect him for this reason? That we should compare him to a dog?
This comment reminds me of mentality of the past here in Iraq--2004 through 2007. From what I can see on the ground now, our current strategy in Iraqi is superior, yielding much more desired results.
On the topic of the children, I think that I may not have been clear in making my point. The point is that we cannot fix their domestic problems. We cannot swoop in and save the children. The only thing that we can do is influence the Iraqis to make changes. Also, there is no reason to assume that deception on the part of village elders. Their children are the pride of the community.
Comment by richconnaroe — January 21, 2009 @ 8:56 am
I really don't want to get into a spat with you because you are there and I am not. My comment about the dogs was more predicated on the Somali cab drivers here in the U.S. refusing to pick up passengers with seeing eye dogs. And that in looking at training and usefulness, the dogs are more valuable than the Somali entities.
As for children being the pride of the community, yes, we keep being told how much Islam adores its children. Must be why Hamas and Hezbollah consistently hide among them when they're not driving to kindergartens to blow them up, because Muslims can't believe that anyone else would kill their precious children. They want that act to be reserved for fellow Muslims only.
BTW, what have your Iraqi community leaders done to earn my respect, as well as yours? Married any 9-year-old brides? Stolen any government or American funds? Turned in a neighbor in to Saddam and got him disappeared? Got up off their skanky asses and did physical work, as opposed to making their wive(s) do it for them? How many of them have shot at American soldiers in the last five years, or raised their beloved children to do it for them? I'm just not seeing a real high respect factor here.
I appreciate your standing up for the people you are fighting to help, but please don't expect me to regard them as affectionately from the comfort of my civilization as you do immersed in your uncivilization.
Best -- NanGee
Comment by richconnaroe — January 21, 2009 @ 9:36 am
I have such a hard time understanding why Nancy believes that people need to earn respect. As humans, every being deserves respect. I was never aware that you earned respect. It is often hard to individuals to be open minded about the societies of others, just because it is different does not mean that it is wrong. In their eyes, it is right. Who are we to judge their actions? That judgment is left for our creator.
Comment by Renee — January 21, 2009 @ 10:16 am
I am appalled by the bigoted hatred displayed by Nancy. To dismiss the Iraqi people based on misinformation and prejudice truly is dispicable. Look at how long America took to abolish slavery and how long after that before any semblance of civil rights were afforded minorities. This is a very young democracy. Give them a chance! Mike
Comment by mike thorne — January 24, 2009 @ 12:02 pm
I agree with Mike. Thank you for saying it.
Comment by Wendy Jones — January 24, 2009 @ 5:37 pm
Nancy Gee,
Above all, I am glad that we live in a land where you and I can see this issue so differently.
I respect your opinion, though I do not necessarily agree with it. You make some good points, but on a whole, it may be inappropriate for me to comment on them, as a Soldier.
Thank you for writing.
If you had not put it out there, then who would? It would be a shame if we were all robots with the same opinion. What dull conversation.
Comment by richconnaroe — February 9, 2009 @ 3:09 am