National Forum Highlights UN Support for Women, Children and Families Recovering from Conflict in Iraq

The National Directorate for Iraqi Women, at the General Secretariat of the Council of Ministers, today convened a national forum on the role of United Nations agencies in supporting women, families and children during and after conflict, with the support of UNFPA, UNICEF and UN Women.

Participants included the Prime Minister’s Adviser on Women’s Affairs, the Deputy Minister of Labour and Social Affairs, representatives of the Ministry of Migration and Displacement, national committees on women, family and children, academics, media and United Nations agencies. Discussions covered protection, early recovery and reintegration, women’s economic empowerment, and cooperation between government, civil society and the United Nations. IOM, UNFPA, UNICEF and UN Women each presented their work in Iraq.

“Iraqi women have not been recipients of protection and assistance alone; they have been partners in resilience, in recovery and in rebuilding social peace,” said Dr. Yusra Karim Mohsen, Director General of the National Directorate for Iraqi Women.

Speaking on behalf of the United Nations in Iraq, Dr. Hind Jalal, UNFPA Representative, said: “Any account of what the United Nations contributes must begin by recognizing what Iraq has achieved itself. Today, Iraqi women across the country are not only beneficiaries of recovery programmes — they are helping to lead them, in peacebuilding, community reconciliation and livelihoods, and in clearing mines and explosive remnants of war”.

“Recovery is measured by what changes in the daily lives of women and girls,” said Janneke van der Graaff-Kukler, UN Women Deputy Regional Director for the Arab States and Acting Representative in Iraq. “Whether women can access services and employment, claim their rights, and whether girls can stay in school and build a better future. Delivering on the National Action Plan on Women, Peace and Security requires sustained investment to ensure these gains are scaled and reach women and girls across Iraq.”

“Women and children often bear the greatest burden of conflict. UNICEF remains committed to working with the Government of Iraq, partners and civil society to protect every child, support families to recover, and invest in a more peaceful, cohesive and sustainable future,” said Laetitia Bazzi, Acting UNICEF Representative in Iraq, whose presentation covered child protection, education, health and nutrition.

The forum closed with a roundtable on strengthening collaboration and on priorities going forward, including climate change as an emerging issue for the National Action Plan on Women, Peace and Security. United Nations agencies reaffirmed their commitment to the agenda and to coordinated support for women, children and families affected by conflict.

For more information, please contact:
Sahar T. S. Alsaffouri, Communications & Partnerships Analyst, UNFPA - alsaffouri@unfpa.org 
Richard Ruati, Advocacy and Communications Specialist, UNICEF - rruati@unicef.org 
Doaa Farooq, Communication and Partnership Assistant, UN Women - Doaa.farooq@unwomen.org