Gender, Globalization and Militarization, Research Paper Example

Introduction

The research proposed herein this document is of the nature that examines the abuse of Iraqi women both historically and that resulting from war and invasion of Iraq. Specifically the research examines the global perception of Iraqi women in combination with the self-held view of Iraqi women.

Statement of Thesis

Gender inequalities existed in Iraq before the invasion and those gender inequalities still exist however, these inequalities are not the result of war and invasion but rather are of the nature that perpetuates the perception of Iraqi women of self and the construction of the global perception of Iraqi women.

Research Questions

The questions that are addressed in the research proposed in this work in writing are those as follows:

(1) What is the self-held view of Iraqi women or in other words how do Iraqi women view themselves?

(2) Do Iraqi women feel that they are limited in what they are able to accomplish?

(3) Has the self-held view of Iraqi women changed since the war and invasion and if so how?

Methodology Proposed

The methodology proposed herein is research of a qualitative nature to be conducted through an extensive and exhaustive review of literature in this area of inquiry. Further proposed is qualitative study in the form of interviews/questionnaires and focus group studies. Taylor (1977) is reported as having “advocated four alternative approaches to social work research, among them qualitative methods.” (McRoy, nd, p.1) Taylor’s assertion was that “naturalistic inquiry is a perfect technique for a profession that deals not just with the expected and easily measurable but also with the unexpected events that are characteristic of human experiences.” (McRoy, nd, p.1) Reid (1987) held that qualitative approaches to research is the most appropriate strategy for research in studies of social processes of complex human systems including those of organizations and communities. In addition, as noted in the work of Babbie (1986) “qualitative approaches also have the advantages of flexibility, in-depth analysis and the potential to observe a variety of aspects of a social situation.” (McRoy, nd, p.1) Qualitative research “is a social form of inquiry” and as such qualitative research is: (1) interpretive; and (2) naturalistic. (Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, 2008)

Initial & Brief Literature Review

The work of Margesson and Kronenfeld (2006) reports on the violence in Iraq and states that the United States, in March 2004, announced a $10 million Iraqi Women’s Democracy Initiative (IWDI) which is focused on training Iraqi women “in the skills and practices of democratic public life.” (p.5) It is reported that the provisions made to Iraqi women include voter education and training in political leadership, communications, and coalition-building…” (Margesson and Kronenfeld, 2006, p.5) In addition, it is reported that USAID has “implemented a number of programs targeting women, especially in governance and the economic sphere. USAID reports that nearly 60 percent of its small business development grants in Iraq have been awarded to women.” (Margesson and Kronenfeld, 2006, p.5) Pina (2006) reports that Iraqi women “have complained that the volatile security situation and continuing insurgency have contributed to a deterioration in their status.” (p.1) The GFIW organization is reported to have been formed for the purpose of ensuring “that regulations regarding women were complemented by capacity-building and literacy programs, and to sponsor educational programs on women’s legal rights.” (Pina, 2006, p.4) It is reported in the work of St. Clair (2010) that the modern constitution formulating process in Iraq “has included dangerous and difficult challenges, including reconciling the competing interests of ideologically, ethnically, and religiously diverse blocs.’ (p.1) Additionally reported by St. Clair is that there is very little which has been done to “ensure that Iraq’s organized, nationalistic women have a voice in the government.” (p.1) The work of Al-Ali and Pratt (2009) examines the impact of the occupation of Iraq on Iraqi women and reports that until the occupation of Iraq that Iraqi women “were …among the most educated in the region and had been actively involved in Iraq’s labor force until economic sanctions destroyed Iraq’s economy.” (p.21) In fact, the first of all women’s organizations in Iraq and specifically ‘The Women’s Awakening Club’ was founded in 1923. Al-Ali and Pratt state that it was stated early on in the women’s organization the belief that “It is clear that a nation cannot achieve progress unless men and women cooperate…Some people in the east mistakenly consider women to be incapable of undertaking useful projects.” (2009, p.23) This organization of women had come to the realization that they must necessarily obtain education is they were to effectively assist men in their society. (Ingrams, 1983:93 cited in Al-Ali and Pratt, 2009, p.23) After the formation of this organization, other’s formed and women became very active in the labor force and in the society at large. This is reported to have all changed with the occupation. It is reported that in the latter part of the 1970s and early 1980s that a large part of the Iraqi population “enjoyed high standards of living in the context of an economic boom and rapidly development’ attributed to rising oil prices and the developmental policies of the government. Up until the time of the occupation, the ‘working mother’ was an acceptable state in the lives of women in Iraqi and the women in Iraq are reported as being the “most educated and professional in the whole region.” (Al-Ali and Pratt, 2009, p.32)

Summary of Initial Findings

The research in this study tends to demonstrate that women in Iraq were highly educated, professional, and actively involved in the workings of the country prior to the occupation.

Recommendations

Arising from the brief and initial review of literature in this study is a recommendation that a full-scale study be undertaken in order to thoroughly examine the lives of Iraqi women, not only in terms of how they perceive themselves but also in terms of how they are perceived by the world around them.

Annotated Bibliography

(1) Al-Ali, N. and Pratt, N. (2009) What Kind of Liberation? Women and the Occupation of Iraq.

Al-Ali and Pratt examines the lives of Iraqi women both before and after the occupation of Iraq and show that women in Iraq were highly educated, professional and involved in the labor force and society of Iraq prior to the occupation.

(2) Neshat, SN (nd) A Look Into the Women’s Movement in Iraq. Farzaneh 54 Vol. 6 No. 11.

This author relates how women enjoyed a modern system of human rights with many advantages in the latter part of the 1920s due to the Turks, which was curtailed in 1931 when British rulers made the decision that women should not be educated. However, women were effectively active in the latter part of the 1930s onward until 1991 due to sanctions creating outlandish inflation and shutting down the entire economy of Iraq.

(3) Al-Ali, N. (2007) Iraqi Women: Untold Stories from 1948 to the Present. Zed Books Ltd. London, UK.

Al-Ali writes explaining the history of the dispersal of in excess of 4 million Iraqis across the globe and relating her own experiences as a woman in Iraq.

(4) Hassan, Ghali (2005) How the US Erase Women’s Rights in Iraq. Global Research – Centre for Research on Globalization 7 Oct 2005.

This author relates how the arrival of the U.S. forces resulted in women being limited in their comings and goings and how previously women in Iraq “enjoyed some of the most modern legal protections in the Muslim world, under a civil code that prohibits marriage below the age of 18, arbitrary divorce and male favoritism in child custody and property inheritance disputes.”

(5) Al-Azzawi (2007) Deterioration of Iraqi Women’s Rights and Living Conditions Under Occupation. The Brussell’s Tribunal.

The airhost in this work examines the extent of the occupation of the US on the rights and living conditions of women in Iraq and states findings that trends in the status of security have served to drive Iraqi women out of their jobs.

Bibliography

Al-Ali, N. and Pratt, N. (2009) What Kind of Liberation? Women and the Occupation of Iraq.

Babbie, E. (1986). Observing ourselves. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth.

Margesson, R. and Kronenfeld, D. (2006) U.S. Assistance to Women in Afghanistan and Iraq: Challenges and Issues for Congress. CRS Report for Congress. 5 Jan 2006.

McRoy, Ruth G. (nd) Qualitative Research. University of North Carolina at Pembroke.

Pina, Aaron D. (2006) Women in Iraq: Background and Issues for U.S. Policy. 13 Mar 2006. CRS Report for Congress.

Reid, W. (1987). Research in social work. In A. Minahan (Ed.-in-Chief), Encyclopedia of social work (18th ed., Vol. 2, pp. 474–487). Silver Spring, MD: National Association of Social Workers.

St. Clair, Olivia (2010) Building Backwards: Helping Heal Iraq Through women’s Rights. Texas Journal of Women and the Law. 1 Apr 2010.

Taylor, J. (1977). Toward alternative forms of social work research: The case for naturalistic methods. Journal of Social Welfare, 4(2–3), 119–126.

What is Qualitative Research (2010) Robert Woods Johnson Foundation. Qualitative Research Guidelines Project.