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The aftermath of the toppling of the Saddam Hussein regime in April 2003 has brought much hope, as well as violence and insecurity, to Iraq. The Iraqi Interim Government assumed power on June 28, 2004, and elections were held on January 30, 2005. No reliable statistics are currently available on the numbers of casualties sustained during the Hussein regime or the recent wars. While there was a surge in civic activity and in the number of women’s organizations established immediately after the collapse of the regime, an increase in violence against women, including rape, kidnapping and honor killing, sharply curtailed women’s activities, particularly in Baghdad. Women continue to struggle to have a role in shaping Iraq’s future government, laws and policies, as well as to meet basic daily needs.
Staff profile: 24 members; all are Iraqi.
• Conducted men’s training in 2006 that educated 300 men on the
importance of women’s rights and equality between men and
women. Participants reported a number of attitude and behavior
changes in their relationships with their own family members.
• Served over 3,500 women in 2 communities since 2003.
• Brought together nearly 100 Iraqi leaders, parlimentarians, and
governing council members in 2 conferences in 2005 to help
ensure women's participation in reconstruction.
• Offered job skills training in carpentry, hairdressing, traditional
embroidery, carpet weaving, and rights awareness training to
2,200 women.
• Current job skills trainings include hairdressing and traditional
handicrafts.
• Conducted activities to strengthen the women’s Non-
Governmental Organizations (NGO) community in Iraq. Provided 15 organizations with comprehensive NGO training, including all
aspects of management and operations. Each NGO was awarded a
start-up grant to help develop major projects.
• Co-hosted a conference in December 2003 in Amman, Jordan with
the World Bank, UNIFEM and Women Waging Peace, to share
knowledge and build leadership skills for Iraqi women.
Participant profile: In 2005 our Iraqi participants...
- Average Number of Children - 6
- Marital Status - 40.4% Single
44.7% Married
8.3% Separated/Divorced
6.6% Widowed
When women entered our programs in 2005...
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Education Completed - 30% had no formal education
- Participated in Economic Activity - 69% None
- Community Participation - Very low level of activity
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