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By 1st Lt. Olivia Cobiskey
BAGHDAD - Capt. Patricia Keilberg held up a black and white picture of her mother's cousin Yu Kwan-Sun.
"It's because of this woman that I'm able to stand before you today," Keilberg told the crowd of nearly 50 people gathered for a Women History month's celebration, "Writing Women Back into History" on March 21 in the International Zone.
Warrior
Yu, often called the 'Korean Joan of Arc,' contributed significantly to gaining sovereignty for her country from Japan, Keilberg said. She planned the nonviolent protest of 1919 and later planned another one in her hometown of Ch'onan after the governor-general closed the schools in Seoul because of the unrest.
"She personally lit the torch and carried it to the mountaintop, the signal for the demonstration to start," Keilberg said. "Many people were killed, among them her parents. She was arrested, sentenced to three years in prison and, after being severely torture, she died."
"She was 16 years old," Keilberg said to the silent crowd.
Although, Yu was only one of 75,000 people to die in demonstrations that year, the ripple effect of her choice can be seen today, she said.
"My mother told me that story and because of it, she promised herself, her daughter would have every opportunity," Keilberg said.
Air Force Maj. Gary Warren said he was moved by all the women's stories at the Woman's History celebration; however, Yu's story touched him the most. Like many people, Warren said he thought the Korean independence fighter was in her 20s or 30s.
"When she said the girl died at 16, it made me think of my own 14-year-old daughter," said Warren, who is stationed at Ft. Meade, Md. "It lets you know you are never too old, too young, too big [or] too small to bring about change."
Survivor
Judith Kenney, a physician at the Iraqi International Academy, said her "Aunt Hazel" is a survivor and an inspiration to her.
Hazel left her abusive husband, put herself through nursing school as a single parent and battled breast cancer.
"Breast cancer is the fifth leading killer of women in America," Kenney told the crowd at FOB Prosperity's dining facility conference room. "40,000 died last year."
Aunt Hazel survived and has been cancer free for 15 years. She married her best friend and then lost him to a heart attack.
"Hold it together," was her aunt's mantra, Kenny said, it was just another challenge for her to overcome and she would survive this too.
Sgt. Annika Chambers, of Houston, Texas is also a survivor of abuse.
"I was in the same situation from 18 to 23," Chambers said.
Now 24, Chambers said she has never looked back and is embracing life, which is reflected in her singing and song writing.
"This evening encouraged us to look back at the contribution the women in our lives made to make it easier for us," said Yasmine Bahrani, a cultural advisor for the U.S. Army, who moved to the U.S. when she was 12. "We have it easy compared to our mothers and grandmothers."
Equality
However, Iraqi women still have a long way ahead of them, said Maj. Noor al-Berakhdar, an Iraqi army dentist.
Berakhdar joined the military in 2004 for the same reason many people do in America - educational benefits and a bonus.
Recently, during Iraq's special election on March 4th for military, police and medical personnel, Berakhdar was swarmed by women outside a polling center and asked if she was in the military.
"They are not used to seeing women in the Army," said Berakhdar, who visited Iraqis with special needs in their homes to check both their dental and general health.
"Hopefully, this opens the door to younger women and more females will have the ambition for military service."
Berakhdar would like to see more roles for women in the military, politics and economics. And, she may get her wish.
"I'm so impressed with her. I've never seen a female officer before," said Saba Mohammed, 24, of Baghdad. "I look at my country's future; it will be different if we have more women like her."
Mohammed, a cultural adviser for the U.S. Army, said she's thought about joining the U.S. Army, but never the Iraqi army.
"Women in Iraqi don't have an rights, joining the Iraqi army, it's a challenge culturally," Mohammed said. "She's a good example."
| Date Taken: | 04.02.2010 |
| Date Posted: | 04.02.2010 09:41 |
| Story ID: | 47598 |
| Location: | BAGHDAD, IQ |
| Web Views: | 325 |
| Downloads: | 287 |
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