They can create a greater sense of security and an environment in which women's voices can be heard.vi .
Soon after the US-led war in Iraq in 2003, the country descended into violent social and political turmoil that deepened existing splits between religious, ethnic, and gender groups. Lawlessness and religious extremism, including gender violence and the suppression of women appeared in every facet of Iraqi life.vii Even after the withdrawal of US troops in 2011, the Iraqi insurgency has continued. Women, for the most part, have disappeared from public life. .
Reconstruction and peace building efforts in Iraq have focused on economic stability more than social change.viii However, in order to establish lasting security Iraqi women need to have a more prominent role in social, political and economic spheres. Oppression has played a huge part in women's lives, but also in the failure of Iraq's reconstruction. Half the population is currently not engaged in leading the nation forward to achieve peace, economic justice and ecological sustainability. A society that dominates and subordinates women cannot ultimately be a stable one. "Genuine security requires not only the absence of war but also the elimination of unjust social relations ".ix.
Iraq has made gestures toward the inclusion of women. In 2005 a quota system was set up to guarantee women a 25% share of seats in parliament. However, many old provisions of the Iraqi Penal Code still remain: men can still escape punishment for abduction and rape by marrying the victim; honor killings meet with significantly reduced sentences compared with other forms of murder. Despite this Iraqi women have carved out a new space for themselves in the public sphere as Iraq transitions into reconstruction and peace. The Iraqi Women's Network has brought together a number of women's groups including Ala Talabani's Women for a Free Iraq and the Iraqi Women's High Council.
