Letter Sent to U.S. Secretary of State Urging Rights for Iraqi Women (2005)

Our petition letter to preserve the rights of Iraqi women was delivered to U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice with over 7,000 signatures -- collected in the span of only two weeks!

Many of you signed the petition and included heartfelt, personal messages to Secretary Rice, imploring her to use her tremendous influence in the fight for the rights of women and girls in Iraq. Here are a few of your messages, in your own words…

"As a woman holding high office in the United States, you have a responsibility to the women of the world to look after their rights, and advocate as hard as humanly possible on behalf of women around the globe."

"Please use your influence and the full power of your position to advance the rights of women so that they are moving always toward weighing equally in the balance. The world will be better for it and you hold a unique power to affect this kind of positive change."

"Women are one of the world's most precious resources. Ensuring women's protection in Iraq means investing in the population that will carry the weight of surviving the war, rebuilding communities and raising the next generation."

"Women have been fighting in the streets and in the byways of policy-making to secure their rights. I urge you to join in supporting their efforts."

"Secretary Rice, you hold a position of incredible power both in the Bush administration and in the world. You are a role model for girls and women everywhere. I urge you to do everything in your power to ensure that women in Iraq have full human rights under the new Iraqi constitution. I know this task will not be easy, but I also know it is within our reach."

Thousands of powerful statements just like these were delivered to the State Department last week. Secretary Rice has heard your voice – and now hopefully the Iraqi women will too!