Iraq's civil war leaves women marginalised and at risk

[maddezmom]

BAGHDAD (AFP) - Iraq's sectarian war, which followed decades of repression and economic sanctions, has left the country's women marginalised, afraid and prey to increasingly radical ideological factions.

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"Often, the problems are simply psychological. They come to talk about their husbands who have been killed or being driven out of their neighbourhoods," she told AFP at her surgery.

Is the situation getting worse for Iraqi women? "Of course, of course, of course," she replied, as the city's latest daily power cut plunged the sparse treatment room into darkness.

"Pregnant women can't go to hospital if they go into labour during the overnight curfew. More and more of them are dying, along with their babies," she said, apologising for not having precise statistics.

In fact, independent figures are hard to find in war-torn Baghdad.

more:http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20070307/wl_mideast_afp/womeniraqrights_070307123638