Over 8,000 widows in Diala because of violence

DIALA / IraqiNews.com: The persecution and use of women to carry out suicide bombings have encouraged 171 women in Diala to run for the upcoming provincial council elections, a member of the National Movement for Reform and Development said, adding that armed operations have deprived over 8,000 widows of their husbands in the province. “The poor conditions faced by women in the province have encouraged some women to nominate themselves for provincial councils to end the injustice inflicted on them,” Soha al-Difaie told IraqiNews.com. A total of 171 women, out of 641 candidates, have run for provincial council elections in Diala province, scheduled to take place on January 31, 2009. Baaquba, the capital city of Diala province, lies 57 km northeast of Baghdad. SS (P) 1