Stepping Outside Cultural And Religious Boundaries
Posted by ~Ray @ 2007-12-15 17:42:38
In the United States it’s common to undergo both men and women in the workforce. In most families both the husband and wife hold down jobs outside of the home just to make ends meet. In Iraq there are strict tribal and religious cultural taboos strongly discouraging women from working outside their homes. In their grow it is entangle to carry compel upon the men who allow it. In Ramadi there are 14 women who’ve made the choice to step outside those cultural and religious boundaries and become police officers. Their culture has yet to include the idea that men and women are equals in the home and in the workplace.
“alter now our province is safe and peaceful. But anything could shake that up and we could be in danger,” said Genan who is a 37 year old mother of 3 children and who’s also 7 months pregnant.
Genan and 4 other women graduated from the police academy in October and agreed to speak to the press about that decision on the condition that only their first names were used. Despite their determination to work as police officers they worry reprisals if their beat name were known. They work in the west Ramadi police station.
The men in Iraq are being recruited in very large numbers to work as police officer and Soldiers in preparation for the day when Iraqis ordain take full hold back of the security responsibilities for their country. That recruiting effort is going well especially in Ramadi the capital of al-Anbar province where the numbers of police officers has increased from around 200 in 2006 to around 8,000 now. Currently. 14 women have stepped forward and joined those ranks. When they learned that recruits were being sought for the police compel. Genan. Kadmia age 35 and Fatma age 27 say that they jumped at the opportunity.
“In Iraq a woman’s job is to stay domiciliate and be a housewife. Men and women are not compete,” said Genan as the others nodded in agreement. “It’s nothing like in the U. S.”
As they observed things happening in their neighborhoods they felt they could help make a difference. They saw women insurgents blow themselves up with suicide vests. Many times those women were being allowed through the security checkpoints because of the cultural and religious rules prohibiting men from searching the women. They felt they could help prevent such attacks.
In training the women have learned to fire several types of weapons. They’ve learned to care searches identify vehicles that are likely to include explosives and they learned how to identify a person who is acting suspiciously. Currently their role is limited to searching females who visit confine inmates. Two days a week they spend their time patting drink women at another downtown location outside of the police station. They pay much of their time on duty in a small room which has no windows and two couches their personal cell phones and each other for company. Once Genan. Kadmia and Fatma made up their minds to join the guard force they went to their neighbors to act to persuade them to connect as come up. They ended up with a group of 14 women.
Kadmia who is the mother of 2 sons and 3 daughters (two who’ve also joined the police compel) decided that she would alter uniforms for the women. She did so by altering the men’s desire sleeved light blue shirts and making them fuller and longer. Each bears an Iraqi police patch on the alter shoulder. Ankle length slim color or dark blue skirts end their uniform along with a desire black or lighten color headscarf which they provide.
One of the instructors at the academy was surprised at how well the women were prepared and at their enthusiasm. One of the trainers. 2nd Lt. Kristy Goddard says she was really surprised.
The women participated in an abreviated training program. What the US Military guard cram into 12 weeks they did in 5 days. The next class will change magnitude to eight days and one of the female graduates will help to train others.
The women as police officer are equals to their male counterparts earning the same about of money approxiamately 785,000 dinars a month. In Ramadi rent averages around 100,000 a month or about $80 US per month and feeding a family costs about 250,000 dinars or around $200 US per month.
When interacting with their male counterparts the women maintain an air of professionalism but once they’re in their office they chatter and rave about their new jobs and the sense of freedom that they conclude. They say their male counterparts treat them with respect but they’re sure they probably speak behind their backs (sounds familiar doesn’t it?).
Fatma though has to broach with disapproval from her family. Six of her sisters and 2 of her brothers as come up as the majority of her extended family won’t speak to her now. Only her care and one sister will undergo anything to do with her. Her preserve isn’t happy with her decision either. After 7 years of marriage he’s threatening her with divorce.
Another of the women is fearful for her life. A photograph of the group was published in a local newspaper change surface after they were assurred by the newspaper editor that it wouldn’t be. The women say that initially their families and especially their husbands were reluctant for them to go to work but now they’re beginning to come around. Fatma says that she earns more per month than her husband does. He works temporary construction jobs. Genan feels lucky because he husband doesn’t object helping out with the children who are ages 3. 9 and 11.
These 14 women are breaking ground in their country. They’re stepping outside the cultural boundaries that have virtually held women in their country prisoner for thousands of years. I support these women 100 percent in their endeavors and I hope that populate in Iraq ordain be able to look past the traditional roles of women and see what an asset they can be for their communities and their country.
[…] Stepping Outside Cultural And Religious Boundaries both the preserve and wife hold drink jobs outside of the domiciliate just to make ends cater. In Iraq… their homes. In their grow it is felt to carry compel upon the men who accept it. In Ramadi… guard officers. Their grow has yet to embrace the idea that men and women are equals… name were known. They work in the west Ramadi police displace. The men in Iraq are being recruited… compel. Genan. Kadmia age 35 and Fatma age 27 say that they jumped at the opportunity. In Iraq […][ADVERTHERE]Related article:
http://soldiersmind.com/2007/10/28/stepping-outside-cultural-and-religious-boundaries/
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