Resource center

Project webpage:
Genderinag.org is an online forum which is designed to provide access to resources, tools and information which can help practitioners and other stakeholders mainstream gender into agricultural development. Genderinag.org is dedicated to raising gender awareness and improving gender mainstreaming to promote improved gender equality and gender equity in development. Genderinag.org is a community of practice bringing together specialists in many fields to promote systematic integration of gender concerns in the World Bank's rural activities. It is the only organizational entity linking gender, rural and agricultural development together with the World Bank, Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), and the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD). Genderinag.org is built as a knowledge nexus for practitioners to share analytical and advisory services on a wide range of gender-related topics. In collaboration with colleagues in the World Bank, Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), this e-platform is a "one-stop shop" for agriculture specialists, practitioners and the academic community to exchange creative ideas and improve upon lessons learned in efforts to reducing poverty through sustainable rural development. The website offers a scope of the basic gender concepts; from a broad overview of rural development to a more narrowed focus on country-specific case studies and project results. The website also responds to how to incorporate gender into projects, compiling good practices and innovative activities for learning.

Organisation website:
The Arab Families Working Group (AFWG) is a collective of sixteen scholars from universities, NGOs and research foundations whose work focuses on youth and families in Palestine, Lebanon and Egypt and their diasporas. Founded in 2001, AFWG is committed to advancing the state of empirical and theoretical knowledge on Arab families and articulating research processes and outcomes with practitioners and policy makers. AFWG projects include comparative, transnational, interdisciplinary, and collaborative work on the three countries and diasporic Arab families in the United States and Canada.

The Social Institutions and Gender Index is an innovative measure of underlying discrimination against women for over 100 countries. While other indices measure gender inequalities in outcomes such as education and employment, the SIGI helps policy-makers and researchers understand what drives these outcomes. The SIGI captures and quantifies discriminatory social institutions - these include among others, early marriage, discriminatory inheritance practices, violence against women, son bias, restrictions on access to public space and restricted access to productive resources.

Organisation website:
The American Association of University Women (AAUW) advances equity for women and girls through advocacy, education, philanthropy, and research. Since 1881, AAUW has been one of the nation's leading voices promoting education and equity for women and girls. AAUW has a nationwide network of more than 100,000 members and donors, 1,000 branches, and 500 college/university institutional partners. Since AAUW's founding 129 years ago, members have examined and taken positions on the fundamental issues of the day — educational, social, economic, and political. AAUW's commitment to educational equity is reflected in our public policy advocacy, community programs, leadership development, conventions and conferences, national partnerships, and international connections.

LLWB is a scientific and cultural organization that aims to bring together professional women by providing them with a forum in which they can exchange experiences and expertise, discuss common challenges and issues, provide specialized training, facilitate the exchange of information, network and promote the potential of women in the world of business.

Way is a non- profit organization established in 2009, with a background in supporting Women and youth sectors through all capacity building necessities.

Organisation website:
Founded in 1974, Equal Rights Advocates (ERA) is a leader among national women's legal organizations. ERA envisions a world where women and girls from all walks of life have educational access and economic opportunities; workplace and employment equity; equal representation

Webpage:
Beyond's Women Rights Monitor (WRM) is a not for profit Beyond Association initiative coming to reality in 2010.

Since its launching it has strived to achieve a number of projects that will play a key role in developing a sustainable, long term institution struggling to create opportunities of independence and leadership for Lebanese women.

Beyond's WRM is dedicated to bring together social activists, organizations and individuals, wishing to promote Women Rights' issues of concern, but also monitoring violations and/or success stories in different Lebanese communities. It foremost provides necessary knowledge and information to support change interventions.

Our Mission

To promote Women Rights and monitor eventual violations and/or success stories in Lebanese communities, and enhance women dignity, individuality and leadership.

Women are the victims of violence and backward religious traditions in Iraq, and are in desperate need of shelter and protection from random acts of aggression. These women are subject to continuous threat of being:

killed by their husbands or male relatives (honor killings)
Burnt or mutilated for suspicion of shameful acts
publicly executed or shot by the police
kidnapped and secretly murdered
in state of despair and see no other way than to commit suicide

Consequently, millions of women undergo sexual discrimination encouraged by Islamist activists and Saddam's regime that urge all “God Loving” men to oppress their women so as to abide by an Islamic submissive lifestyle that was created hundreds of years ago. This situation has been introduced and enhanced in the last decade, and does not allow women basic standards of human dignity. Other Reasons that result in the deterioration of social status of women in Iraq:

Hundreds of thousands of women were widowed by consecutive wars, and genocide executed by Saddam's army
Economic sanctions spread out poverty to unthinkable extents where every widow finds herself responsible of a family with no sort of support or social insurance
Recent years changes in civil laws so as to allow honor killings and referral to backward and barbaric tribal law
Absence of supremacy of law, allowing Islamist misogynist practices which the ruling Baath party chose to apply by committing mass killings on women.

Local Women's Movements

Independent Women's organization (IWO) was formed on 8th of March 1992 in North of Iraq with the efforts of volunteering individuals. Since then, women sheltering services began to be provided. These include armed protection, safe dwelling and legal services.

IWO has proved to be the only organization to fully adopt a comprehensive campaign of advocating Iraqi women's rights and for that had gained the support of local radical movements. IWO has extended its influence to international locations that attracted masses of Iraqi refugees. It is represented now in Canada, England and Australia. Our committee (DIWR) in Canada was founded on May 20, 1998 and has pursued

Investigating into the status of Iraqi women with a focus on Kurdistan of Iraq where the absence of supremacy of law resulted in giving way to ancient tribal practices against women encouraged by recent Islamist influences.

The need for these services?

In order to gain a broad perspective of the local scene, and a sense of the urgency to activate change towards the women's cause in Iraqi Kurdistan, we refer to one recent statistical figure done in North of Iraq - Kurdistan

- That could explain it all:

Within a population of 5 Million in Iraqi Kurdistan

4000 honor killings (1990-1999)

Hundreds of burnt women

Tens of honor driven mutilations against women

Thousands of circumcised (genitally mutilated) girls yearly till this present day

What your support can do?

Strengthen international solidarity for the support of women's movement in Iraq in their struggle against Islamist influenced male violence.

Provide the women's shelter with financial support necessary for the survival of desperate women.

Boost Women's aspirations in gaining freedom and equality with their fellow men.

We seek the support and cooperation of all organizations that are involved in developing women's status worldwide. For any inquiries, do not hesitate to contact us on the addresses written below. yanar2002@hotmail.com

The Regional Human Rights and Peacebuilding Fund (RHRPF) is a four years CDN $5M initiative (ending in 2011-2012) providing funds and direct support to selected local non-government organizations (NGOs) and not-for profit institutions as well as to international organizations with direct and well established partnerships with local civil society organizations (CSOs). The objective is to implement projects which contribute to reducing human rights abuses, increasing women's influence as well as working toward sustainable peacebuilding efforts