Life ‘getting worse’ for women

“Oppression, abuse, violence and degradation are on the increase,” wrote Joan Bakewell in The Independent on Friday.

Specifically mentioning Iran and Iraq, she described the worrying trends that are seeing women “being driven back to ancient and punitive ways of life.” Since 1991 there have been 4,000 honor killings in Iraq, she said, and the number of women burning themselves to death is growing at an alarming rate.

“These communities are returning to feudal ways of living where women are the voiceless victims,” she wrote. “Moreover, when a people are ravaged by war and invasion, the damaged pride and powerlessness of their men can turn into rage and violence against those they perceive as weak.”

Bakewell added: “This is history running backwards, and we seem helpless to stop it.”

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