Press Release

For the first time in Iraq FAO launches the “Climate Wise Women” initiative to enhance rural communities to adapt to climate change

28 February 2025

Basra, Iraq, 28 February 2025

For the first time in Iraq, The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), in collaboration with the Ministry of Agriculture, concluded a 4-day ToT to train a cadre of women under the Climate Wise Women (CWW) initiative to act as agents of change for climate adaptation in the agricultural sector, and to reach out to rural women in Central and Southern governorates of Iraq, in particular, in rural communities in Muthanna and Najaf Governorates. The training was designed and delivered by a team of FAO international experts specialized in climate-smart agriculture and women empowerment.

This training is an initiative under the “Enhanced Climate Resilience of vulnerable agriculture households in Southern Iraq” project funded by the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (Sida).

Climate Wise Women (CWW) is a pilot approach in the Middle East for empowering rural women, building their capacities, and bridging the gap between scientific-learning and practice-based knowledge. It consists of a cadre of female extension officers, and local facilitators trained and certified as Climate Wise Women (CWW) to strengthen their capacities to adapt and mitigate to climate-related challenges through; scientific curriculum tailored to local agro-climatic context, practical demonstrations at field-level, in addition to community engagement and awareness.

Salah Elhajj Hassan, the FAO representative in Iraq, emphasized on the importance of this pioneering initiative and its significance in the region.

He also elaborated on the FAO efforts and expertise gathered and spent to bring this innovative initiative into action. "The key role to be played by the Master trainers and facilitators consists in increasing rural women awareness, adaption and mitigation skills, which in turn will help local communities to mitigate to climate change" he said.

“Empowerment of these women at village level by raising their awareness about the seriousness of climate change effects, strengthening their skills, and providing them with tools to promote Climate Smart Agriculture, will support collective action to adopt effective adaptation practices” he added.

Based on this TOT, the Climate Wise Women are intended to become advocates and resource persons of climate adaptive agriculture for women and men farmers in their communities. Moreover, they will be practitioners of climate smart and adaptive agriculture at farm level, and facilitators of understanding and dialogue on climate change and modern climate adaptive agriculture among farmers, women in particular.

The Climate Wise Women will advocate for mainstreaming women and small-holder farmers needs and perspectives in National policies and Governorate plans through policy dialogues with decision-makers.

Salah Elhajjhassan

FAO

Representative

salah.elhajjhassan@fao.org

Mr Hajj Hassan, a national of Lebanon, holds a Ph.D. in Plant Production from the University of Agriculture, Damascus, Syria; a Master of Science degree in Plant Production and a Bachelor of Science degree in Agricultural Engineering, both from the American University of Beirut, Lebanon.
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.

UN entities involved in this initiative

FAO

Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations

Goals we are supporting through this initiative