Few women working in armed forces

Iraqi army Sgt Ismin Norhan is the first person a mother and her little boy see when they walk up to the heavily fortified "green zone" checkpoint in the Iraqi capital, Baghdad, which has been car bombed at least once and is now behind high cement barriers and razor wire. Norhan, 19, quickly frisks the mother, then pinches the boy on the cheek, smiling. She looks carefully at the mother's identification before waving them through. A man comes up to the checkpoint to be checked by a male soldier. A US soldier walks up to discuss what looks like a fake ID card. Part of a small cadre of new female recruits, Norhan is the face of the new Iraqi army. Her brown hair is pulled back into a bun and tucked under an army cap, unlike the hair of virtually every woman she checks, which is covered by a headscarf. She commands at least eight privates as a sergeant. And she speaks English. "It's good for me to be here," Norhan told IRIN in Baghdad. "People are surprised when they see me, but I like the work." "Green zone" residents, or anyone who moves in and out of the more than 2-km sq area where thousands of US citizens live and work, must be searched and show identification to get in. Two suicide bombers in October blew themselves up at a popular café and shopping area inside the zone. The blasts killed at least five people, making those at the gates even more vigilant. It is not easy to be a woman in the fledgling military corps, which is under attack from insurgents and fighting other security problems. Norhan says many people look her in the eye and say it is not suitable for a woman to work outside the house. In Iraq's traditional Muslim society, women were only allowed in medical roles in the military under former president Saddam Hussein. It is predominantly men one sees out on the streets in the cities of Iraq. But some women also work in government ministries and in other professions. "I hear many negative comments from men and women. I don't answer them," Norhan said. "Women also complain when I search them. I tell them it is for their own safety." Privates in her unit trust her because she is good at her job, Private Mohammed Abdel Munam, 21, told IRIN. The group works as a team, forged by their bond of going through training together that included house searches, how to shoot weapons, physical fitness and how to run military checkpoints, among other things. "I'm proud of our ability to work together, because there were no females in the army before," Munam said. "We are comfortable together." New Iraqi officials, many of whom have lived in Western countries for decades, decided Iraqi women should have a chance to serve their country in any capacity they want to, said Sabah Kadim, an interior ministry spokesman. So far, they number just a few hundred, but they are being recruited for such roles precisely because they are women, Kadim said. "We want to encourage women as equal members of the society. Especially with their non-violent nature, this is exactly what Iraq needs, because Iraq has been violent for decades," Kadim said. "They should take a leading role in society as things calm down." Many of the women have taken on administrative roles in the military and the police so far. At least in the police force, however, they are now being recruited to serve in roles across the board, Kadim said. There will be no limitations except for their own ability, mental and physical, he said. "It will take time. The mentality of this society needs to be changed," Kadim said. "But I'm very impressed by the strength they have, the confidence they have. In a lot of ways they can do a better job than a man." A US soldier who works with women in the new Iraqi army told IRIN he supported the move to bring women into traditional male roles in Iraq. "I think it's a great step forward for them," said the senior non-commissioned officer also at the "green zone" checkpoint, declining to give his name. Ironically, however, the soldier believes women should not be allowed to serve in the US military. "In my personal experience, women just distract from the mission," the officer said. "They shouldn't be in here, period." Cold, hard cash is the reason Iraqi women, or anyone for that matter, wants to join the military, Norhan said. In a country where there aren't many jobs to be had, new soldiers start at US $250 per month. It's a princely sum in a place where food subsidies are distributed monthly. "I was a law student before the war. I never thought I would be in the military then, because nobody liked them," she said. The female sergeant signed up after talking to some male neighbours who had recently joined. She said the US sergeant who promoted her told her she worked hard. "There is no difference between a soldier and a lawyer," Norhan said. "A lawyer defends one person; we defend all people. This is my duty."