Biography
As a member of the Iraqi National Assembly, Rajaa Habib Dhaher Khuzai represented the voice of women in Iraq’s government. She previously served as a member of the Iraqi Governing Council, the Interim National Assembly, and the Transitional National Assembly. Dr. Khuzai helped to establish a guarantee in the interim constitution that 25 percent of government seats were to be reserved for women; she later served on the committee drafting Iraq’s long-term constitution, which contains the same provision. She also spearheaded the successful resistance movement over the passage of the now-repealed Governing Council Resolution 137, which called for the restitution of Shariah law in Iraq’s family law code.
Dr. Khuzai holds degrees in obstetrics, gynecology, and laparoscopic gynecology from the University of London. For the past several years she has directed a hospital in the southern city of Diwaniah while teaching at the local medical college. As a member of the International Women’s Forum, she coordinated with the Canadian International Development Agency and the Calgary College of Medicine to establish training programs for obstetricians, pediatricians, and family practitioners. She is also a member of the Arab International Women’s Forum. President of the Women’s Organization in Diwaniah, founder of the Women’s Health Center in Baghdad, and founder of the Iraqi Widow’s Care Organization, Dr. Khuzai seeks to develop a women’s health strategy for post-war Iraq, with particular attention to screening and early detection of cancer in women and the prevention of domestic violence. (03.2006)