Women’s Voices First: Women Leading the Way to Inclusive Peace in Iraq The emergence since 2003 of a vibrant civil society in Iraq has been a positive development, as a functioning democracy requires a strong civil society sector. The women’s movement has gained a lot of strength during this momentum, which eventually resulted in being one of the first countries in the MENA region to adopt a National Action Plan (NAP) on UNSCR 1325. The launch of the Iraqi NAP (2014-2018) was an initial step toward enabling women’s participation, protection, and empowerment in the processes of conflict resolution and peacebuilding in Iraq. It also indicated the strength of the women’s
movement seeking leverage and opportunities to influence the peace and security situation in Iraq. However, due to a variety of reasons, the Iraqi NAP never materialised in concrete actions.

Unfortunately, the war against terrorism and ISIS since 2014 resulted in a counter-terrorism campaign that significantly reduced civic space, impeding the ability of CSOs to reach communities in need and mobilise citizens. Specifically, minority groups and women organisations have been affected. Years of repression caused by a strong, conservative culture, socio-economic hardship, and armed conflicts have led to the deterioration and fragmentation of the social fabric. Women are impacted differently than men. They experience restrictions to their daily freedom and endure challenges to fulfil their basic needs with severe threats to their safety and security. Women and girls suffer from sexual gender-based violence, such as domestic violence and online (sexual) extortion, which has further increased due to the Covid-19 pandemic. The deteriorating of services and economic situation has further limited women’s contribution to economic, social, and political activities. Women are hugely under-represented in peace processes and peacebuilding. When they do participate, their role is limited, and they face structural as well as socio-cultural challenges and resistance. Furthermore, activists, particularly women’s human rights activists, experience violence, kidnapping, assassination, threats, and intimidation.

CSOs, particularly women’s organisations, face significant obstacles, including a lack of funding sources to improve skills and capacities to operate in a political environment unaccustomed to and sceptical of independent activists. Women’s civil society organisations in Iraq provide much-needed services, promote gender equality and democracy, and push for political change. To overcome these obstacles and fulfil this vital role in society, a more structured funding mechanism, stronger alliances, and
tailored capacity building is essential.

Therefore, the proposed project will provide capacity building and a multi-year funding scheme, allowing CSOs, particularly grassroots women-led, feminist, and women’s organisations across the Federal and Kurdish region of Iraq, to implement programs addressing self-defined WPS-priorities. Additionally, the program will facilitate a safe space for Iraqi women’s organisations to discuss shared concerns and differences to strengthen solidarity, seek alliances, and develop a lobby and advocacy strategy around a localised WPS agenda.

Cordaid builds on the extensive experience of managing grant schemes on behalf of different donors and implements WPS programs in Iraq, Libya, and Afghanistan. This proposal is based on inputs from Iraqi partners.


** 2022:  Canadian Embassy is Interested to contribute to Scale-up our current Women voice's first project that funded by CSSF to scale up providing capacity building and funding scheme, allowing CSOs, particularly grassroots women-led, feminist, and women’s organizations across the Federal and Kurdish regions of Iraq, to implement programs addressing self-defined WPS-priorities. Additionally, the program will facilitate a safe space for Iraqi women’s organizations to discuss shared concerns and differences to strengthen solidarity, seek alliances, and develop a lobby and advocacy strategy around a localized WPS age Purpose / Impact: Iraqi grassroots women-led, feminist and women’s rights organisations are self-reliant and interconnected, advancing a localised transformative WPS agenda, contributing to inclusive peace and security in communities across the Federal and Kurdistan region of Iraq. 

Outcome 1: CSOs implement programs on self-defined WPS priorities that meet the identified needs of women and girls in their communities.

Outcome 2: CSOs operate as self-reliant development actors who can access and manage funding opportunities to implement programming on self-defined WPS priorities.

Outcome 3: A women’s network of CSOs, representing a diversity of Iraqi communities, is lobbying and
advocating for inclusive political processes and (inter)national policies on peace and security in Iraq. The program will partner with CSOs, grassroots, women-led, feminist and women’s organisations, and communities in all governorates across Federal and Kurdish Iraq.