Where Women No Longer Hold Up Half the Sky

It's serendipitous when two things like this show up in my mail box at the same time. We can perhaps see this cartoon, from Slate magazine, as an illustration for the comment by Reuel Marc Gerecht, former CIA Middle East specialist, on the lack of protection for women and women's rights, in the drafts of Iraq's new constitution.

In 1900, [American] women did not have the right to vote. If Iraqis could develop a democracy that resembled America in the 1900s, I think we'd all be thrilled. I mean, women's social rights are not critical to the evolution of democracy.

This, about a country where women had more freedom and social rights than anywhere else in the Middle East. Women were educated, held high-level jobs in business, education, law, medicine and government. That is to say, until we came in and turned their country into a trashed version of Iran. I know they are deeply grateful to us right now.

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