Statement of Representative Deborah Pryce

Thank you for inviting me today to speak out on an issue that should never fall on deaf ears: the human rights abuses in Iraq under the regime of Saddam Hussein.

Last month, as Chairman of the House Republican Conference, I had the privilege of leading seven distinguished Members of Congress on the first all-female delegation to Iraq. Our mission focused on the post-war condition of Iraqi women. We examined and evaluated the current status of health care, employment opportunities, and the Iraqi women’s ability to participate in the political process. What we found was a mix of inspiration and despair. While women in post-war Iraq make significant and inspiring headway on a daily basis, they remain stunned in a post-traumatic state, suffering from the lasting ramifications of severe psychological and physical torture inflicted by a regime that brutally beat, butchered and abused women.

As a result, it may take many years before Iraqi women fully regain stability and confidence-and perhaps, even, an equal place in society.

According to widespread reports, including evidence from the U.S. State Department, Saddam’s ruthless regime forced Iraqi women to endure horrendous, intolerable cruelty; systematically employing rape, torture and murder for political gain.

For example, many human rights groups estimate that nearly 300-thousand Iraqis disappeared since the time Saddam took power in 1979. Thousands of Iraqi women watched in horror as their families were brutally slaughtered. Many of the men were jailed or dragged from their homes in the middle of the night-never to return; their fates unknown. While the wives of the missing Iraqi men struggled to put food on the table, Saddam further complicated a woman’s ability to provide for her fatherless family. He erected numerous barriers that made it nearly impossible for a woman to work outside the home and he forbade women to remarry. Saddam systematically destroyed family units, struck paralyzing fear in every one of his people and ultimately created living conditions so deplorable that Iraqis could never gain the strength or the courage to rise up against the regime.

As many women struggled to earn a living, Saddam decreed prostitution a crime punishable by death in the 1990’s and subsequently beheaded hundreds of alleged prostitutes. Such allegations, frequently baseless and often completely untrue went uninvestigated. The beheadings, reported to have been carried out by Saddam’s eldest son Uday and units of the "Fidayi [FED-AY-EEN] Saddam"-Saddam’s personal militia-took place in front of the victim’s neighbors and family, including her children. Left behind with the intention of further dishonoring the family, Saddam required that the woman’s head be displayed publicly outside the victim’s home for several days.

In 1990, women’s rights were further defiled when Saddam Hussein removed punishment for a man who murdered a female relative in an effort to "restore" honor to their family name. These so-called "honor killings," according to the United Nation Special Report on Violence Against Women, were responsible fort he murders of more than four thousand women.

In addition to these physical brutalities, Saddam’s regime left deep scars on the hearts of Iraqis. Health conditions deteriorated significantly under his rule, severely threatening the lives of Iraqi women and children.

A 2003 United Nations report stated that maternal mortality rates rose to 370 deaths per every 100-thousand births in the late 1980’s. Inadequate diets, high rates of anemia among birth mothers, chronic diarrhea and acute respiratory infections in new babies contributed to plummeting maternal and infant mortality rates. The survival rate was so bleak, only one in eight Iraqi children ever celebrated their fifth birthday.

The minds of Iraq’s women and children also decayed under this militant regime. More than half of Iraq’s men can read. But an overwhelming 76 percent of Iraqi women over the age of 15 can’t read or write. According to US-AID, the Hussein government forced teachers to work without pay, provided schoolbooks to only one in six children, and left schools to crumble into extreme disrepair.

Despite the difficult and intolerable injustices that comprise Saddam’s legacy to Iraq, his removal from power has generated clear and evident signs the future of this country holds great promise. While in Iraq last month, I witnessed many milestones of achievements.

I was encouraged by the bustling streets in Baghdad, doctors’ long term plans for their hospitals, and I witnessed women slowly emerging to claim their rightful place as vocal, educated and....eventually…equal contributors to Iraqi society.

The political participation of Iraqi women within their new government could be used as one of the most significant, public indicators of their advancement. While Saddam provided "universal suffrage" in theory, most women, in reality, could not exercise the right to vote. Furthermore, Saddam Hussein ran unopposed for years. Repeatedly, he was reelected with nearly 100 percent "yes" votes, making it obvious that elections in Iraq were simply a sham.

But without Saddam, Iraqi women have stepped forward to enthusiastically support their new government despite an imminent threat to some of their lives. Currently, two women serve on the Iraq Governing Council, one woman has been named a cabinet minister, and 6 women-out of a total of 35 members-fill positions on the Baghdad City Council.

At least one woman from the Iraq Governing Council paid the ultimate price to represent her country. She was gunned down outside her home in late September for her part in forging a free and democratic Iraqi society. To date, no women have been included in the writing of the new Iraqi Constitution, but Iraqi women must be commended for the significant strides they have made. Their success has been most evident at the local levels of Iraqi governments, filling many of the seats on the village councils.

While in Iraq, I witnessed women from many walks of life empowering one another with education, hope and camaraderie. Groups like the Women’s Social and Cultural Society of Mosul-organized just this past spring-have already grown to 200-plus members. Together these women promote social, political and educational equality for all Iraqis. Their success is due, in part, to the sacrifice and hard work of our military forces, coupled with the efforts of many Iraqi civilians dedicated to stabilizing Iraq. Their challenge is immense, but the Iraqis are determined, steadfast and unwavering.

Ultimately, I share with you today the hope that all Iraqis, for generations to come, will rise above Saddam Hussein’s painful and horrific legacy to live peaceful, independent and prosperous lives.