For Immediate Release
March 9, 2004

Iraqi Women Prepare for Leadership Role
Iraq Fact of the Day

Women are beginning to play an important role in leading Iraq, and new programs seek to assist more women in gaining leadership skills. Through a new $10 million program -- the Women's Democracy Initiative -- women will learn important skills for political advocacy, entrepreneurship, and journalism. Already, newly-opened women's centers in Baghdad, Hilla, Karbala, and other cities have become focal points for women seeking to participate in Iraq's political future.

Sources: U.S. Department of State, Washington, D.C., and the Coalition Provisional Authority, Baghdad, Iraq.