International Women's Day: Conclusion

We find out that an appropriations committee is meeting to consider bush’s horrific budget this afternoon, one hour before we are to be at the presentation of Iraq women to members of congress who are interested in hearing about conditions in Iraq from these women. We want to be there in hot pink and with our banners.

We get to the building that houses the committee meeting room and find out we are standing in an overflow line – and we’re at the end of the line. After waiting there without moving for several minutes, we realize that we will not be able to affect any of the members from the overflow room. We decide to go to our next meeting to get there early, in case there are not enough seats as well.

Congresswoman Eddie Bernice Johnson is holding this presentation called Women: The Keystone to Iraq’s New Democracy. Congresswoman Johnson began “A World of Women for World Peace” as a response to 9/11 and our presidents rush to war.

No other Congress people showed up nor sent representatives to this enlightening and superb meeting. Again, the women from Iraq spoke eloquently and forcefully, as did the Congresswoman and several people from the audience.

From here we went to yet another celebration – a CodePINK supporter invited us to her home and provided us a great dinner and a chance to hang out together, speak more intimately with the women from Iraq and the other CodePINK women from across the nation.