Driving change for women's rights and representation in Iraq

Context

In Iraq, gender-based discrimination excludes women and girls from equal political, economic and social participation. Patriarchal structures, traditional norms, and unequal power dynamics drive this exclusion.

Decades of conflict have normalised violence, as a means to solve conflicts. Gender-based violence (GBV) remains one of the most widespread human rights violations in Iraq and is often socially tolerated.

GBV includes physical and emotional abuse, sexual harassment, and cyberbullying targeting women in public roles. Support structures for GBV survivors are largely absent. Women and girls in camps for internally displaced persons (IDP) are also disproportionally affected.

Since mid-2023, an anti-gender campaign has further restricted civil society actors advocating for women’s rights.

Objective

State and non-state actors have contributed to increased women’s participation, peaceful coexistence, and more equality in Iraq.

Approach

The project supports targeted measures to promote women’s participation and address gender-based violence:

• Providing leadership trainings for women’s organisations and advocacy training for civil society groups;
• Offering skills development courses for women and girls, especially from displaced backgrounds, and advising companies on anti-harassment policies;
• Facilitating exchange platforms, organising conferences, and creating safe spaces for activists;
• Conducting awareness campaigns and community dialogues to prevent GBV;
• Improving services for survivors of sexual gender-based violence and at-risk groups by developing and applying a survivor-centred approach as well as training state and non-state actors.

Last update: February 2025