Welcome to you all
As you can all see, we have wonderful volunteers around the hall in vibrant Iraqi, Arab and Kurdish national dress. 
Today we are celebrating three events, firstly the 100th anniversary of international women’s day, it is also the 59th anniversary since the IWL was established as the first women’s organisation in Iraq and thirdly, the 21st of March is New Year (or Nawroz) for Kurds. 
Although it has been more than 100 years since women demanded equality, we still see discrimination and violence against women all over the world. We may need another 100 years to overcome every kind of discrimination everywhere – but we will keep campaigning against it.
For 59 years, Iraqi women’s league has not stopped working for women’s rights with women from all around Iraq. None of the brutal acts of genocide or the torture of the previous dictatorship has stopped women in Iraq demanding their rights, nor will the new political Islam stop our women from demanding their civil liberties.
Over the past two months the Arab world has been shaken to its core by widespread popular calls for democracy.  These calls have transcended all social classes, ethnic groups and religions.  Day and night we saw women oppose well established dictatorial regimes. Oppressive and corrupt regimes in Tunisia and Egypt have already been swept from power, and are actively being challenged now in Yemen, Libya, Bahrain and Iraq.

Over the last 8 years, we have had an extremely complicated and delayed delivery of government in Iraq, a government which is drowning in corruption and lacking in basic human rights.  Iraqi streets from Kurdistan in the north to the south of Iraq are demonstrating against corruption and for transparency. And as previously, Iraqi demonstrators are being silenced by being taken to prison, tortured and made to sign an agreement that they will not participate in any peaceful demonstrations.  Have we waited 40 years to repeat the same dictatorship?
The situation for women has deteriorated on all levels in Iraq, but we are all determined more than ever to change this.
Although the situation is volatile we are positive that we will not allow another dictatorship and we will now, as always, fight and stand by all women who are struggling for a better life for themselves and their children.
And above all, we must remember that a true democracy is one born within a country and not imported there.
Thank you, I hope you all have a memorable evening.