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Projects
Contribution to 'Women, Peace and Humanitarian Fund' in Iraq
Short Description:
Overall goal
The Women’s Peace and Humanitarian Fund (WPHF) is a pooled financing mechanism that brings three unique benefits to enhance women’s engagement in peace, security and humanitarian action. The WPHF:
• Breaks silos between humanitarian, peace, security and development finance by investing in enhancing women’s engagement, leadership and empowerment across all phases of the crisis, peace, security, and development continuum.
• Addresses structural funding gaps for women’s participation in key phases of the crisis, peace and security, and development continuum by improving the timeliness, predictability and flexibility of international assistance.
• Improves policy coherence and coordination by complementing existing financing instruments and promoting synergies across all actors: multi-lateral and bilateral.
Women continue to face barriers to participation in decision making bodies and political bodies and policy making institutions. Whether at a local level or within national government, women’s participation is often symbolic at most, and women lack the support, resources, and networks to successfully engage and advocate for their participation and leadership.
The ADA contribution supports local civil society organizations in Iraq to (i) contribute to the elaboration, implementation and evaluation of Iraqi National Action Plans on the implementation of the UN Security Council Resolution 1325 and (ii) strengthen women’s participation in conflict prevention efforts.
Expected results
The ADA contribution supports up to 5 local civil society projects. The selected projects will contribute to 2 of the WPHF’s outcome areas, namely:
• Outcome 1: National strategies, financing and accountability mechanisms are in place for the implementation of women, peace and security commitments
• Outcome 2: National and regional conflict prevention systems are gender sensitive
Target group / Beneficiaries
- Between 6 to 10 civil society organizations, notably women's organizations, through around 4 to 5 Projects
- At least 60,000 women (70%) and men (30%) will benefit from the projects.
Activities
The diverse range of activities are contributing to the fulfillment of the above mentioned Outcomes and can range from awareness raising, to advocacy, strategy development, capacity development, establishing communication lines between grassroots organizations and governmental authorities, and movement building.
Context
By the end of 2017, Iraq began to emerge from one of the worst humanitarian crisis in the country has experienced. The physical and human loss and devastation that resulted from the past three years of conflict and crisis have taken a toll on the country’s institutions and citizens. The Government of Iraq, with support of the international community, have dedicated resources and attention to promoting stabilization and laying a foundation for an effective recovery and reconstruction process. Critical to this proves is the engagement of women and girls, ensuring the continued implementation of the NAP 1325 and progress in developing its second iteration, and ensuring the women, peace and security agenda is prioritized within national bodies and decision-making institutions.
Throughout the country’s experience in conflict, women have borne the burden of conflict, and require assistance and support to rebuild, recover, and concretely contribute to and lead the reconstruction of their communities and state. Women were subjected to increased violence, including sexual and gender based violence, most notably perpetrated by ISIS. They were forced to navigate displacement, often multiple times, provide for families as men were killed or disappeared, and negotiate an instable and often predatory environment that exposed them to risk of exploitation and marginalization. Even so, women in Iraq have proven themselves to be incredibly resilient, and are not the silent victims or passive observers to the conflict and marginalization they face. Women and girls have within them the determination and commitment to recover and rebuild, not just themselves but their families and communities. Recognizing that women must serve as partners and leaders in peace building, conflict resolution, and prevention of future violence and extremist is critical to ensuring a lasting peace.