Mediaprogram för Irak perioden 2019-2023 - Aswatouna - Our voices. Elevating and Amplifying Women´s Voices in Iraq Mediaprogram för Irak perioden 2019-2023 Internews Europe has applied to Sida for funding of 32 150 000 SEK to carry out the Aswatouna - Our Voices. Elevating and Amplifying Women's voices in Iraq during the period 2019-2021.

The goal of the intervention is to empower women to participate equally as citizens and decision-makers by strengthening and expanding  women's voices in Iraq. The project will also contribute to Internews ongoing efforts globally to improve access to information as a root solution to enable women and men to make informed decisions, participate in dialogue and stand up for their rights Insatsen avser stöd till Internews projekt Aswatouna - Our Voices som syftar till att stärka och utöka kvinnors röster i Irak. Projektet kommer också att bidra till Internews pågående insatser globalt att förbättra tillgången till information som en grund för att göra det möjligt för kvinnor och män att fatta välgrundade beslut, delta i dialog och stå upp för sina rättigheter.

Projektet har följande mål:

- Öka kapaciteten hos journalister och organisationer i det civila samhället för att kunna producera innehåll av hög kvalitet som förstärker kvinnors röster, tar upp kvinnors frågor och ger information som möter kvinnors behov.

- Öka närvaron av kvinnor i media och i den offentliga debatten.

- Stärka kvinnliga journalister och CSO-ledares motståndskraft och förmåga att skydda sig mot könsrelaterade digitala attacker.

- Stödja kvinnors egenmakt genom att bygga upp deras möjligheter till ledarskap inom media och information.

- Informera och utbilda irakiska kvinnor om deras politiska och ekonomiska rättigheter samt vikten av kvinnors politiska och ekonomiska deltagande.

Sida avser att bidra med totalt 32 150 000 SEK under 2019-2021. In line with the Swedish strategy for Iraq Sida decided in 2019 to provide financial support to a media programme in Iraq that was run by Internews . The programme amounted to 32 000 000 SEK for a four year programme  in the period of 2019-2022. In April 2023 the agreement was extended until 30 June 2024 with an expectation of enhancing the reach of some of the results of the programme and to integrate some of the lessons learned in from the evaluation of the programme implementation. In the 10 month extension Sida added 480 000 USD for the activities in 2023.

The goal of the Aswatouna" programme (our voices) is to empower women to participate equally as citizens and decision-makers by strengthening and expanding  women's voices in Iraq. The project also contributes to Internews ongoing efforts globally to improve access to information as a root solution to enable women and men to make informed decisions, participate in dialogue and stand up for their rights. In the last year of the programme some small changes was made to the objectives of the programme. One new element concerned a focus on the working environment for journalists and to strengthen the resilience of women journalists to harassment and threats.

Strategic objectives for the programme are: 

1. Increase the capacity of journalists and CSOs to produce high quality inclusive content which is gender-sensitive, amplifies womens voices, addresses womens issues and provides information which meets womens needs

2. Increase presence of womens voices in the media and public debate 

3. Strengthen women journalists and CSO leaders resilience against and ability to protect themselves from gender-based digital attacks

4. Support womens empowerment by building their leadership opportunities in the media and information space

5. Inform and educate Iraqi women on their political and economic rights and the importance of womens political and economic participation.