Gender

Iraqi AlAmal Association Programmes about women

• Media campaign for Iraqi Women Movement

A declaration of media campaign has finished under the slogan of" equality...Not discrimination." which has begun from April till November/2006,

This campaign is funded by UNIFEM, and aimed to mobilize Iraqi public opinion via mass media to preserve national unity, security, and stability against terrorism and sectarianism, and to build state of law and democracy,

This campaign also aimed to preserving the personal status law, and for the Iraqi constitutional commitments to International conventions of human rights, in particular "CEDAW",

Media campaign activities producing campaign slogan, brochure which included campaign goals, and mass media outreach" visual, audio, written", to mobilize the contribution of media in the campaign pivots, also promoting goals of the campaign through holding seminars and meetings inside Iraqi ministries and other governmental organizations, to promote constitutional and legal culture for all employees,

In addition to organize other activities like workshops, and mobile teams in Baghdad and other governorates, also providing "Niqash" website with the campaign news like workshops held by women NGOs, stories of women who challenged bad situations, and all press releases issued by organizations,    

 

• Iraqi Women Network

The network has become well-known amongst women NGOs, and on the national and International level.

The network efforts to promote its role in coordinating, mobilizing and organizing status were acknowledged widely, these efforts funded by UNIFEM, UNOPS, and UNDP.

A network held a conference for general body in May/20/2006, where a new coordinating committee was elected.

Coordinating committee has written suggestions memorandum on constitutional revision, seeking support at both national and international levels, particular efforts were directed towards Iraqi parliament, as well as, organizing series of different activities.

The network also worked for media campaign promotion, organizing many seminars inside ministries like ministries of: foreign, electricity, finance, labor, youth, sport, oil, construction and planning to deliver awareness workshops about constitutional concepts for all employees.

Ministries liaison officers were identified for coordinating activities of the network campaign between ministries and NGOs.

A meeting was held in September, 9-2006, for ministries liaison officers of ten ministries were represented, and subjects about the role of women in political process, decision making, constitutional revision, personal status law, and how to mobilize women role in state organizations, and their participation to promote peace and secure in the country.

Few months ago, four newsletters were issued by IWN, including women organization news.

A charity bazaar was held by mother's day, where the revenues were dedicated to women single headed families.

IWN, NGOs, city councils, and mass media representatives attended the opining, many people contributed to help the targeted families.

As well as, many festivals and conferences were held in the occasion of international woman day;

- A conference of Iraq future horizons: woman and constitution in AlNajaf governorate,

- A conference of Iraq future horizons: women and national unity in Saddat Alhindeya,

- A conference about women role in the national unity/reconciliation in Arbil,

- Also a seminar in ministry of human rights about violence in families was held by IWN,

More details are found in legal-social clinic section.

 

Iraqi women network held its conference in 17th Nov. 2007 in Baghdad, under the slogan `` Pioneering and Continuity for Iraqi Women March``. 200 participants gathered in the activity, including ministers, members and advisors from the House of Representatives, and Kurdistan Parliament, ministries representatives and other governmental organizations, Baghdad national police and law preservation field commanders, in addition to representatives from 86 women organizations and other NGOs from different governorates and media. For More ...

 

 

• Alamal legal and social clinic

In March 25/2006, and for one year, Iraqi Alamal Association started a new project in Baghdad, called "Alamal legal and social clinic", which was 1st time implemented in Iraq, this project was funded by NUIFEM, and clinic programmes promoted legal and constitutional concepts, awareness about necessity of personal status law, and producing social legal consultation for individual cases related to personal status issues.

It is important to refer to a similar experiment carried by Alamal organization in Alnajaf governorate, in coordination with IWN, under title" mobile legal and social clinic about violence against women in Alnajaf governorate".

This campaign encouraged many women organizations, judges and lawyer to offer their services to support the campaign.

Activities focused on awareness and education inside governorate and rural areas, awareness about violence against women, monitoring and documenting cases of violence, including documenting real stories in courts of personal status, these mobile clinic activities are ongoing till now.

As a result of deterioration security, AlMansour neighborhood in Baghdad city, where the clinic resides, and the clinic activities moved to mobile tours in hot areas, to see and treat cases which in need to be attended to.

The clinic contributed in many conferences, workshops, meetings, seminars and interviews in Baghdad and governorates.

 Some cases have treated, for example: child custody, father origin, coercion, husband using beating, divorce threat, husband betrayal, domestic violence, widows suffering to keep child custody, financial abuse, polygamy,

Meetings with liaison officers of Iraqi ministries were held to negotiate women cases and legislations. 

A lecture was delivered on still effective personal status law, article (41) of Iraqi constitution, explaining jurisprudence of constitutional revisions in particular articles (126), (142), constitutional grassroots' education programme.

 

• Al-Tadhamun institution for hairstyle

Since October /2005, till December/2006, Iraqi AlAmal Association in partnership with international orthodox charitable organization, opened a women training center in Camp Sarah neighborhood / Baghdad city.

This center has training workshops on hairstyling, while building capacity on education and social awareness, and many seminars were held with held with women of Camp Sarah to discuss social and healthy awareness.

In the last week of july/2006, a training workshop on sewing started, which lasted tow months, this training was attended by eight young women.

On authorization was obtained from ministries of education related directory to develop literacy campaign pogramme, and to open two classes in the school located next to the institution.

The programme tends to help women find jobs through training them on hand crafts and to empower women on income generating and financial independence.

 

• Iraqi AlAmal Association partnership role was

- Rent and reserve the center.

- Obtain necessary license from health and labor and social works developments.

- Developing and management of the center.

- Financial follow up for center.

- Employing women trainers.

- Issue practice certificates for women graduates.

Orthodox international charitable organization, a partnership role was providing center with equipments of training as follows:

- Providing raw materials to support the project.

- Workers salaries.

- Small electricity generator, simple furniture, and sewing machines.

Institution activities holding awareness seminars on:

- Education, health and social rehabilitation of women empowerment, personal statutes law and Iraqi governing council resolution 137 were held in the center, as well as medical consultation.

- Meeting with local community of school dropouts, encouraging them to go back to schools.

- Social and health awareness.

- Training of hairstyling, as well as employing some women in the center.

- Social and international activities on international day of child in AlTadhamun institution.

- Facilitate few women cases that have been delayed in governmental institutions, due to bureaucracy and poor out reach (i.e ministry of Education, labor and social works).

- Showing dramatic scenes on VAW (domestic, social, work), demonstrating need of positive attitude towards violated women, and the success were performed by the abused theatre group.

- Nominating young women candidates from the community to participate in the free IT training course of IWN.