As I have previously stated,the awards made in Iraq are very complex to research especially given the lack of credible material availability as very aptly described by Ed in his comments above. Although many copies and even awards have now been manufactured to fool and entice both the souvenier hunter and enthusiastic collector,i think that this specific award is genuine and was very cheaply made as described by Ed. Examples of this award are also relatively easy to find. The General Federation of Iraqi Women was established by the Baath Party shortly after its ascent to power.This movement,in the opinion of various authors,played a significant role in implementing state policy. Community centers were established and run by the organization and numbers of more than 250 centers have been quoted.Educational as well as other programs were offered and at the same time the communication of official policy was encouraged and promoted.Many of these centers became known as literacy centers and were designed to bridge the gap between male and female literacy in Iraq. In 1997,it was reckoned that approximately 47% of Iraqi women were members of the organization.It therfore played prominent role and its impact on the Iraqi society must have been notable. In brief,the goals of the organization were-to fight enemies of the socialist arab society,to ensure the equality of iraqi women with men regarding rights,contribution to the economical and social development of iraq and to support mothers and children within the family structure. The organization was disbanded by the Coalition Provisional Authority{CPA} after the recent war.Membership of the GFIW also required Baath Party membership. One of the best "rememberances" I have of my 3 years in Iraq is the woman whom I met and married there.Some of these inputs come from her experiences of living and growing up in Iraq.She now resides in Johannesburg with our daughter.