For the first time in Iraq FAO launches the “Climate Wise Women” initiative to enhance rural communities to adapt to climate change
٢٨ شوبات ٢٠٢٥
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.
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