Despite compounding challenges, women in Iraq play vital roles in the country’s COVID-19 response

Date: Monday, July 6, 2020

Despite the unprecedented challenges, Iraqi women are playing vital roles in the country’s COVID-19 response, serving as leaders, health and social workers, and responders to domestic and gender-based violence.

In the words of Madina Mousa: “I could not stay idle in the face of hardship”

Date: Thursday, August 15, 2019

Madina Mousa fled the war in Syria with her family in 2013, and now lives in Kawergosk Refugee Camp in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq. She started volunteering to help other refugees and now works as a Protection Supervisor at the Women’s Empowerment Organization (WEO), local partner organization of UN Women implementing the regional programme, “Strengthening the Resilience of Syrian Women and Girls and Host Communities in Iraq, Jordan and Turkey”, funded by the European Union under the EU Regional Trust Fund in Response to the Syrian Crisis (the EU MADAD Fund).

In the words of Tanya Gilly Khailany: “When it comes to women’s rights, there’s no room for diplomacy”

Date: Friday, October 19, 2018

Tanya Gilly Khailany, from Iraqi-Kurdistan, is a former member of the Iraqi Parliament (2006 – 2010) and a co-founder of the SEED Foundation, an organization that works with survivors of violence and trafficking in Iraq. An outspoken women’s rights activist, Ms. Gilly Khailany was one of the key parliamentarians who legislated the 25 per cent quota for women in Iraqi provincial councils.

In the words of Taffan Ako: “I believe you have to be in the system in order to change the system”

Date: Friday, October 5, 2018

A refugee from Iraqi Kurdistan, Taffan Ako fled to Sweden in 1997 with her family. Today she is the Coordinator of One Young World Ambassadors for Scandinavia and Eastern Europe and founder of EmpowHERment, an organization that assists women and young girls who have been former ISIS sex slaves or victims of human trafficking. Her foundation finances integration projects for children and women in Europe and in Iraqi Kurdistan. Ako was one of the Young Leaders attending the EU Development Days in June 2018 and spoke to UN Women about her experience growing up as a refugee in Sweden and her activism today.

Press release: European Union–UN Women partnership bolsters efforts in response to Syrian crisis

Date: Thursday, December 21, 2017

EU Regional Trust Fund in Response to the Syrian Crisis steps up its support to women’s empowerment in Jordan, Iraq and Turkey through a EUR 12.5 million investment.

In the words of Pari Ibrahim: “Escaping ISIS is only the beginning, we cannot leave them alone in that journey.”

Date: Monday, November 13, 2017

Pari Ibrahim is the founder and Executive Director of the Free Yezidi Foundation (FYF), an independent, non-profit organization that provides services for women survivors of the violence ISIS attacks on the Yezidi community.

Investigating conflict-related sexual and gender-based crimes—lessons from Iraq and Syria

Date: Thursday, October 26, 2017

In the lead-up to UN Security Council Open Debate on Women, Peace and Security, experts discuss what it takes to document and investigate conflict-related sexual and gender-based crimes and pathways to justice for the crimes committed in Iraq and Syria.

Humanitarian actors highlight women’s role in recovery and peacebuilding in Iraq

Date: Wednesday, September 20, 2017

On 19 September, the Permanent Mission of the Republic of Iraq to the United Nations in Geneva, human rights activists and UN Women participated in a side event of the 36th Human Rights Council, where they discussed the “Impact of Terrorism on the Rights of Women”. The panellists at the event, organized by the Permanent Mission of the Republic of Iraq, included Iraq's Permanent Representative, Ambassador Mu'ayad Salih; the Chief of Crisis Preparedness, Prevention and Response at...

Dignity for women and girls: UN Women Iraq distributes necessity kits to newly displaced women and girls from Mosul

Date: Monday, October 31, 2016

UN Women has joined partners in providing emergency assistance in camps and host communities impacted by the Mosul operations. Since the Mosul operations began on 17 October 2016, the humanitarian crisis has deepened, with more than 15,000 individuals displaced and an anticipated 1.2 million expected as the operations continue.

Civil society advocates forge recommendations ahead of World Humanitarian Summit in Istanbul

Date: Wednesday, May 18, 2016

Governments should ensure refugee women’s participation in decisions that affect them, say participants at UN Women-Oxfam “Women on the Move” workshop.

From where I stand: Yanar Mohammed

Date: Monday, May 9, 2016

As part of UN Women’s editorial series entitled “From where I stand”, we highlight the story of Yanar Mohammed, who works to keep vulnerable Iraqi women safe and secure by providing shelters and support.

The Government of Iraq and UN Women work together for rural women

Date: Tuesday, July 14, 2015

To improve the socioeconomic status of rural women and young girls in selected governorates in Iraq, the Government of Iraq and the United Nations signed a USD 2.5 million dollar joint-project on “Socio-Economic Development of Rural Women” on 9 July.

Arab and European parliamentarians to meet at ‘Spring Forward for Women’ Conference

Date: Wednesday, November 5, 2014

Brussels — The European Commission, the European Parliament and UN Women this morning kicked off the two-day Spring Forward for Women conference at the European Parliament in Brussels. The Conference brings together women lawmakers from the Arab States and Members of the European Parliament. Participants will share their experiences in advancing gender equality and women’s empowerment in both the European Union and the Arab States.

A day in the life of Suaad Allami: The plight of Iraqi women refugees

Date: Tuesday, October 28, 2014

An award-winning Iraqi lawyer and activist for women’s rights from Sadr City in Baghdad, Suaad Allami founded the NGO “Women for Progress” in 2007, which manages a legal clinic and “one-stop shop” for legislative advocacy, domestic violence counselling, vocational training and other services. She was invited to speak at this year’s Security Council Open Debate on Women, Peace and Security on 28 October, which focuses on displaced women as leaders and survivors. She gives us a glimpse of how thousands of Iraqi women and girls are coping with displacement.

Women and girls in Iraq face heightened security and health risks, new Gender Alert shows

Date: Friday, September 26, 2014

The emergence of the Islamic State armed opposition groups across parts of Iraq in June 2014 has caused widespread violence and insecurity, internally displacing 1.8 million people across the region this year alone. According to a new Gender Alert on the humanitarian crisis in Iraq, the impact on women and girls has been particularly marked; nevertheless, they have been marginalized in the overall humanitarian response.

Op-ed: Counting the cost to women in Iraq: a matter of global conscience

Date: Tuesday, August 19, 2014

As the world marks International Humanitarian Day and the United Nations has designated the crisis in Irak as the highest level of emergency, UN Women Executive Director Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka urges immediate action that must recognize and respond to the particular needs and experiences of women and girls.

Expert's take: Bringing light to the darkest places

Date: Tuesday, August 19, 2014

Blerta Aliko, former head of UN Women’s Humanitarian unit and current Deputy Regional Director for UN Women Arab States, reflects on the current unending flurry of humanitarian disasters around the world. She underlines that it is in the face of adversity that we see resilience, determination and the power of people’s will to live in dignity and respect, which is what gives humanitarians the strength they need to bring light to the darkest places.

Executive Director statement on the situation in Iraq

Date: Tuesday, July 1, 2014

In a statement on the deteriorating situation in Iraq, UN Women Executive Director Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka expressed outrage at the deliberate targeting of women and girls in the country and urged for ‘immediate and urgent steps’ to be taken to ensure the protection of the civilian population, and vulnerable groups.

Press Release: "We Just Keep Silent": A report on gender-based violence among Syrian refugees in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq

Date: Monday, April 28, 2014

UN Women has launched a new report on gender-based violence among Syrian refugees in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq which reveals increased levels of intimate partner violence, high levels of sexual harassment by employers and taxi drivers, and a significant number of reports of sexual commercial transactions inside and outside camps. Almost all men also reported feeling afraid for the safety of their wives and daughters.

“The inclusion of women and gender equality must be an integral part of any political solution and transitional arrangements for Syria” – Executive Director

Date: Tuesday, September 24, 2013

Remarks by UN Women Executive Director Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka on security and women’s experiences in Egypt, Yemen and Syria, at a General Assembly side event on “Inclusive transition: The role of women in political transition in the MENA region,” New York, 24 September 2013.