Iraq

During the reign of Saddam Hussein, some 20,000 people were killed in the Iraqi town of Hilla, which has a population of slightly more than half a million. Sawsan Al-Barak witnessed this and other cruelty as relatives and neighbors were taken prisoner, interrogated, and left with lingering physical and psychological scars. An engineer in the Ministry of Industry, Ms. Al-Barak now works for the development of a new Iraq. In June 2003, she cofounded the Fatima Al-Zahara Women’s Center—one of the first such organizations in post-Ba’ath Iraq. Ms. Al-Barak is one of seven women elected to the ruling board of the Center, which already boasts an Internet café, classes in computers and handicrafts, and timely lectures and conferences. Through these, the Center generates funds to support free legal advice, aid battered women, and offer no-charge instruction in English, political participation, and civil affairs.

Ms. Al-Barak’s peace-building activities include:

• contributing to the development of a strong civil society in post-conflict Iraq;
• building a democratic base in the country through community education efforts; and
• providing Iraqi women with the means to be economically independent and politically active.

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