About the Book

The war in Iraq has put the condition of Iraqi women firmly on the global agenda. For years, their lives have been framed by state oppression, economic sanctions and three wars. Now they must play a seminal role in reshaping their country’s future for the twenty-first century.

Nadje Al-Ali challenges the myths and misconceptions which have dominated debates about Iraqi women, bringing a much needed gender perspective to bear on the central political issue of our time. She traces the political history of Iraq from post-colonial independence, to the emergence of a women’s movement in the 1950s and Saddam Hussein’s early policy of state feminism. The book also discusses the increases in social conservatism, domestic violence and prostitution, and shows that, far from being passive victims, Iraqi women have been, and continue to be, key political actors. Following the invasion and occupation, al-Ali analyses the impact of Islam on women’s lives and argues that US-led calls for liberation may in the long term serve to oppress the women of Iraq further.

Contents

Introduction
1. Living in the Diaspora
2. Living with the Revolution: Life in the 1950s and 1960s
3. Living with the Baath: Days of Plenty and State Repression
4. Living with Wars on Many Fronts
5. Living with Sanctions
6. Living in Post-Baath Iraq
Conclusion

About the Author

Nadje Al-Ali is Senior Lecturer in social anthropology in the Institute of Arab & Islamic Studies at the University of Exeter. Her recent publications include Secularism, Gender and the State in the Middle East (2000) and New Approaches to Migration (2002). She is also a founding member of Act Together: Women's Action on Iraq and a member of Women in Black.