Iraqi Parliament honored FAO and Pioneering Rural Women
25 July 2024
Baghdad, Iraq – 24 July 2024 - Under the auspices of the Acting Speaker of the Iraqi Council of Representatives, Mr. Mohsen Al-Mandlawi, the Parliamentary Committee of Women, Family, and Childhood held a ceremony to honor The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the pioneering rural women involved in the dairy value chain development program, funded by the European Union (EU) in partnership with the Ministry of Agriculture (MoA).
Key attendees included Dr. Safwan Bashir al-Jarjari, Parliament General Secretary; MP Donia Al-Shamri, Head of the Women, Family, and Childhood Committee; MP Faleh al-Khazali, Head of the Agriculture, Water, and Marshes Committee; Dr. Mithaq Al Khafaji, MoA's Technical Deputy; Dr. Salah El Hajj Hassan, FAO Representative; various parliamentarians; project partners; and representatives from NGOs.
"Today, we honor distinguished Iraqi women engaged in small-scale agricultural and livestock production projects. We acknowledge the efforts of FAO, MoA, and the EU in supporting rural women and look forward to further cooperation to empower more women across Iraqi governorates," said MP Donia Al-Shamri, Head of the Women, Family, and Childhood Committee.
FAO Iraq representative, Dr. Salah El Hajj Hassan, provided an overview of the organization’s interventions in supporting the dairy value chain and empowering rural women. He highlighted the profound impact on their livelihoods and communities and shared updates on other ongoing projects.
He stated : “We thank the Presidency of the Parliament and the Women, Family, and Childhood Committee for this acknowledgment of FAO’s efforts and those of these remarkable women. We also, greatly value our partnership with national and international partners. The dedication and efforts of these women are truly commendable, and the necessity to scale up these projects to reach more women across more governorates cannot be overstated. Together, we can build a brighter future for all, and we look forward to more cooperation with the Iraqi parliament and government to further advance the agricultural sector and empower women in Iraq.”
Project partners shared their success stories, underscoring the invaluable support received from FAO, the EU, and the MoA. Their testimonies highlighted the project's positive impact on their lives and communities. The participated women also called for granting Iraqi women in this field opportunities equal to those in other professions.
The celebration also showcased a variety of high-quality dairy products crafted by women groups benefited from the support of FAO through the EU funded project in collaboration with MoA.
Shields of Excellence and Certificates of Appreciation were awarded to the EU delegation in Iraq, MoA, FAO team, and the rural women by the members of the Women, Family and Childhood committee.
During a bilateral meeting, that followed the ceremony, the Parliament’s General Secretary, Dr. Safwan Bashir al-Jarjari, appreciated the organization’s efforts in supporting the agricultural sector in Iraq and empowering rural women. He presented recognition certificates to the FAO representative and team, as well as the EU Delegation in Iraq, reaffirming Parliament's commitment to supporting FAO’s projects in Iraq.
FAO remains steadfast in its commitment to advancing the agricultural sector and empowering rural women across Iraq, in collaboration with national and international partners.
This initiative aligns with Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly Goal 1 (No Poverty), Goal 2 (Zero Hunger), and Goal 5 (Gender Equality), by enhancing livelihoods, ensuring food security, and promoting gender equality.
He started his career in 1984, as Senior Research Assistant in the Agricultural Research and Education Centre (AREC), American University of Beirut. From 1987 to 1991, he was Coordinator of the Student Training Programme, and also Agriculture and Horticultural Teacher for the Faculty of Agriculture, at the Lebanese University.
From 1991 to 1995, he worked as Agricultural Engineer at the Ministry of Agriculture, Bekaa Regional Office, Zahlah and was then assigned to the Agricultural Research Institute in the Tal Amara station, first as Head of the Crop Production Department and subsequently in charge of the Plant Protection Laboratory. From 2002 to 2006, he was Director of the Kfardane Research Station (Agricultural Research Institute). In 2008, he became Visiting Scientist at the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Centre (CIMMYT) and Coordinator of a project with the International Centre for Atomic Energy Agency, Vienna.
In 2010, he served as Advisor to the Minister for Agriculture of Lebanon. In 2011, he became President of the Pesticide Scientific Committee, Head of the Phytoplasma Committee and Director of the Agriculture and Rural Development Programme (ARDP) (EU-funded project). From 2010 to 2013, he represented Lebanon in negotiations with EU, Egypt, Jordan and Iraq. During his career, Mr Hajj Hassan also carried out a number of other functions. He represented the Lebanese Agricultural Research Institute (LARI) in several research programmes with the International Centre for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas (ICARDA) and the American University of Beirut. He was Coordinator of the Mashreq/Maghreb project with ICARDA, representing Lebanon in the Steering Committee, as well as being the Head of the Sugar-beet Delivery and of the Wheat Delivery Committees. For a number of years, Mr Hajj Hassan worked for the preparation of FAO TCP projects and served as the National Director of a TCP project. He joined FAO in January 2014 as FAO Representative in Yemen. Mr Hajj Hassan succeeds Mr El Zubi as FAO Representative in Iraq.