Written question asked by Joan Ruddock (Labour) on Thursday, 1 May 2003, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Thursday, 15 May 2003. It was answered by Hilary Benn (Labour) on Thursday, 15 May 2003 on behalf of the Department for International Development.

Dept for International Development

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what steps she is taking to ensure that Iraqi women and Iraqi womens' organisations are included in all stages of preparation for the Iraqi interim authority and for the preparation of the new Iraqi constitution; what discussions she has had with Unifem regarding the involvement of Iraqi women in preparations for the Iraqi interim authority.

Answer: Joan Ruddock: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development (1) what steps she is taking to ensure that Iraqi women and Iraqi womens' organisations are included in all stages of preparation for the Iraqi interim authority and for the preparation of the new Iraqi constitution; [111910] (2) what discussions she has had with Unifem regarding the involvement of Iraqi women in preparations for the Iraqi interim authority. [111911] Hilary Benn: DFID--within the influence available to us--will strive to ensure women are included in all aspects of reconstruction in Iraq. We must help Iraqi women to ensure that women's rights are a central part of Iraq's post-war agenda. We are discussing these issues with our partners, including UNIFEM.

Secondary information