In the presence of H.E. Minister of Agriculture and H.E. Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Iraq (SRSG) FAO hosting a ceremony on the progress under the Climate Wise Women Initiative for Iraq

The ceremony program included distribution of training kits to Climate Wise Women (CWW) team and was attended by officials from the General Secretariat of the Council of Ministers of Iraq, the Women’s Affairs Department at the Ministry of Agriculture, Directors of Agriculture from Najaf and Muthanna, representatives of the local governments.  In addition to women affairs specialists from FAO headquarters, the Regional Office for the Near East and North Africa, and FAO Iraq team. 

Iraq’s commitment to building the capacities of rural women

In his opening remarks, H.E. the Minister of Agriculture emphasized: “This initiative reflects Iraq’s commitment to supporting and building the capacities of rural women and strengthening their role in agricultural development. Providing training, knowledge, and tools to women contributes to higher productivity and to achieving national food security. I would like to thank FAO for its important role and continued support in advancing sustainable agricultural development in Iraq.”

Dr. Mohamed Al-Hassan, Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General, added:  “The Climate Wise Women initiative is closely aligned with the Sustainable Development Goals. It reflects our shared commitment to ensuring that women are not only beneficiaries but leaders in climate adaptation and resilience-building.”

FAO Representative in Iraq, emphasized the importance of supporting rural women: “Building the capacities of rural women ensures they play a central role in building more resilient and sustainable communities capable of facing climate change. This initiative could not have succeeded without the strong cooperation of the Ministry of Agriculture, local governments, and the support of international partners. It reaffirms Iraq’s commitment to strengthening women’s role in rural and sustainable agricultural development.”

Speaking at the ceremony, Ms. Intidhar Fahd Thjeel, Head of Programmes and Rural Women’s Affairs at the General Secretariat of the Council of Ministers, and Ms. Borouj Mohamed Hassan, Head of the Women’s Affairs Division at the Ministry of Agriculture, stressed that: “The initiative reinforces national policies supporting rural women, making them more capable of contributing to the rural economy and adapting to climate change. The training kits will not only help women learn and train but also transfer knowledge to their communities, ensuring long-term impact and sustainability.”

A Pilot Initiative for the region

The Climate Wise Women  (CWW) initiative in Iraq is a pilot approach in the Middle East for building rural women, capacities, and bridging the gap between scientific based and practice learning 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 challenges through; scientific curriculum tailored to local agro-climatic context, practical demonstrations at field-level, in addition to community engagement and awareness.

Since its launch, the initiative has strengthened the capacities of 596 women, including master trainers, local facilitators, and rural women from Najaf and Muthanna Governorates. 

Building on this success, the next phase will expand the initiative to reach central and southern governorates in Iraq.