Rep. Tulsi Gabbard Meets With Kurdistan Regional Government Representatives

Press Release

Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard (HI-02) met with the President of the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) High Council of Women's Affairs and Director General and discussed the importance of supporting and aiding the peshmerga as an ally against Islamic extremist terrorists, particularly ISIS.

Ms. Pakshan Zangana is a Kurdish politician who serves as the President of the High Council of Women's Affairs in the Kurdish Regional Government--Iraq. Previously, she was the Head of the Women's Committee in Kurdistan Parliament and a member of the Women's League's secretariat. In 2005, she was part of the Kurdish List delegation to support the writing of Iraq's Constitution. Ms. Zangana was born in Suleimaniyah. She joined the Peshmerga in 1980s. She later earned a degree in Physics before going on to get her Masters in Social Science.

Before joining the KRG, Ms. Florin Gorgis, now Director General of the KRG High Council of Women Affairs, worked for Andorra International, Newroz Telecom, and Ishtar Broadcasting Corporation. She has also worked for UNICEF and participated in numerous UN workshops and training programs. A native Assyrian Christian speaker, she also speaks Kurdish, English, Arabic, and French. Born in Diana, Kurdistan Region of Iraq, she studied English at the University of Salahaddin and completed an executive program at the Maastricht School of Management in 2012 in Netherlands.

"It was an honor to hear from these brave women who are fighting for their lives, their families, and their freedom against ISIS," said Gabbard. "These women are resilient and courageous, and are working on the front lines to keep their home safe and secure. The United States must take action and become a true partner, by providing the necessary military aid directly to the Kurdish peshmerga."

The Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) of Iraq's High Council on Women's Affairs was established in 2009 by the KRG Council of Ministers. The Prime Minister heads the Council, which includes six Ministries: Interior, Finance, Justice, Culture & Youth, Labor & Social Affairs, and Education. The High Council on Women's Affairs has been particularly active in light of the deteriorating security situation in Iraq and Syria with the rise of violent extremism such as ISIS where many thousands of women have been subjected to persecution, violence, slavery, and extortion.

The President of the KRG High Council of Women's Affairs and Director General also attended the 59th session of the Commission on the Status of Women at United Nations Headquarters in New York.

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