Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister at International Women’s Day Celebration: The Ministry is Proud of Having 677 Women Working to Enhance the Position of Iraq

The Foreign Ministry organized a celebration for International Women’s Day in the presence of the Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Mr. Fuad Hussein, the Chair of the Parliamentary Committee on Women, Family and Childhood, Ms. Donia Al-Shammari, the Prime Minister’s Advisor for Women’s Affairs, Dr. Shahba Al Azzawi, Foreign Ministry’s Undersecretaries, Ambassadors, heads of departments, and female staff, in addition to representatives of diplomatic missions in Iraq.

Minister Hussein delivered a speech on this occasion, congratulating the Ministry’s female staff from both diplomatic and administrative staff, pointing out that the Ministry has always commemorated this day every year, not only for the purpose of highlighting the role of women in our society, but also as a reminder of their efforts, accomplishments, and ability to achieve targets and noble goals of Iraq’s political, social and economic orientation, which reflect growth and prosperity on future generations, expressing his gratitude and appreciation for women’s diplomatic efforts, and emphasized on supporting her.

Recalling the struggle of women in all parts of the earth in seeking their rights, and in an effort to change the stereotypical image of them, and to consolidate their role through their participation with men in making history, illuminating the present, and paving the way to a bright future, expressing his appreciation for the women of Iraq in general, and the Iraqi diplomatic woman in particular for the great role that she played, to enhance Iraq’s diplomatic position in the world, stressing that the Foreign Ministry is proud of the presence of (677) women working in the Ministry’s headquarters and in Iraq’s missions abroad, exerting efforts to raise Iraq’s position among the nations, and it is hoped that (46) more women will join the diplomatic team, Iraq after passing the ongoing diplomatic course.

The Minister affirmed that the Ministry is making every effort to enhance the role of women in diplomatic work, to assume their leading position and high diplomatic roles at the Ministry’s headquarters or in our missions abroad, indicating that he will spare no effort to develop the Ministry’s female staff, for empowering them scientifically and administratively, especially since women in the Foreign Ministry are a source of inspiration and energy for the Iraqi diplomacy, and their success is a success for Iraq.

The Minister also referred in his speech to the efforts of the Prime Minister to enhance the role of Iraqi women through the formation of the High Council for Women, indicating that the inaugural meeting was convened and presided few days ago by his Excellency, and initiating to develop appropriate policies to advance Iraqi women, and to discuss ways and mechanisms concerned with developing the legislative structure on women.

Mr. Hussein stressed that the process of enhancing the role of women in the society is not limited to the idea of empowerment only, but also extends to the idea of protection, in order to achieve what Iraqi women aspire to in an appropriate atmosphere, announcing Iraq’s recent accession to the International Labor Organization Convention Concerning the Elimination of Violence and Harassment in the World of Work, and thus it became the first country in the region to join this convention, recognizing that the phenomenon of violence and harassment in the world of work is considered inappropriate, as it is a phenomenon that threatens equal opportunities between men and women, who have equal rights that guarantee their well-being and enhance their dignity.

At the end of his speech, Minister Hussein called on Iraqi female diplomats to continue their contributions in the process of diplomatic work for the advancement of Iraq.