Mahmudiyah Military Operation Successful In Interviews With Ladies
There have been a number of situations involving Iraqi females being used as suicide bombers, and because of this there has been an increased effort to reach out to the young women of Iraq. Female soldiers with the 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division are working to talk to young women in Iraq about what they need, and how they can help.
As part of ongoing Operation Marne, coalition soldiers met with Iraqi women at the Mahmudiyah Civil Ministry Operations center last week to try and solve some of the problems that are not being addressed. Eleven Iraqi women attended the series of meetings, and were a broad sample of the women who live in the Mahmudiyah area. Some of the women spoke about food assistance, and how that does help but it alone is not enough to feed their families. They said that financial assistance to help them care for themselves is the answer.
“We all would like to be able to work, but we do not have the means to start our own businesses, we have no money,” said one Iraqi women at the meeting. “We hear what you are saying, it does require money to start a business,” said Captain Martrell Gamble. Captain Gamble is the officer in charge for the 3rd BCT, 101st Airborne.
“If you were able to work or had a small business of your own, what would it be?” asked Captain Gamble of the group.
The ladies from Iraq were quick to answer. They would produce baked goods, sew, make pickled vegetables or fruit, can various fruit and food, style hair, or they would work to teach other women how to do all of the above things.
These were all things that the gathered small group of Iraqi women would do if they had the opportunity. The meetings bears promise for the future. The Combat Coalition forces are working to obtain micro grants for these women to be able to set up some of these small businesses.