Project Description
Timeline: May 2015 – November 2015
Protection and Livelihood Needs of Internally Displaced Iraqi Women
Out of more than 2.5 million internally displaced persons (IDPs) in Iraq, a vast majority of this population made vulnerable by armed conflict are in need of protection support. An enhanced effort is required to mainstream protection of civilians from violence and exploitation, with the upmost need for resources for survivors of gender based violence (GBV) and affected children. In Iraq, survivors of sexual gender based violence (SGBV) do not have sufficient access to comprehensive integrated services while improvement of of the quality of existing services is also needed.
Women and girls are vulnerable to high levels of violence including rape, sexual abuse, and sexual exploitation. Displacement disrupts protective social and community networks, while increasing vulnerability due to lack of income. During emergency displacement, families may restrict women’s movements, which also limits their access to important services such as counseling and health services. Living in Koya, there are 9,840 IDPs and 500 Syrian refugees, including a group recently displaced from Kobani.
To respond to the needs of internally displaced Iraqi women and girls who are survivors of SGBV in Koya, WRO has established a women’s safe place that offers psychosocial support and livelihoods training which will reach 1500 vulnerable IDP, refugee and host community women with a particular emphasis on support to survivors of sexual and gender based violence and to those at risk in Koya district of Iraq. The center also refers beneficiaries to other NGOs and community services.
This project seeks to improve the quality of response to survivors by not only offering psychosocial support and vocational training skills in sewing and computer literacy but also improving knowledge of available SGBV services amongst the IDP community through training committee members, brochure distribution on integrated services, and word of mouth from the mobile outreach team to families and individuals in camp.
WRO expects at least 200 women and girls will successfully complete a vocational training course, 100 SGBV legal cases to be referred by the Women’s Center to mobile team lawyers and 200 SGBV survivors or those at risk to access psycho-social support.
In regards to community participation in SGBV prevention and survivor centered protection, community outreach activities facilitated by the WRO mobile team that inform communities about the project services door to door and in coordination with with existing community bodies.
Project currently in progress
Project funded by: 
