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Organisation website:
Founded in 1962, Catalyst is the leading nonprofit membership organization expanding opportunities for women and business.
With offices in the United States, Canada, and Europe, we count as members more than 400 companies, firms, business schools, and associations from around the world, employing millions of women. Our global lens and regional reach allow us to provide our members, the media, and the public with information and counsel on creating workplaces that enable women and their employers to succeed.
Catalyst's work is rooted in our research. We study women and men across levels, functions, and geographies to learn about women's experiences in business, barriers to their career advancement, and individual and organizational strategies leading to success. We are culturally sensitive. Our reports, often cited in international media, reveal the challenges and opportunities for organizations and women at work globally. We have an extensive compendium of diversity and inclusion practices that provides models for change.

Webpage portal:
The goal of this website is to provide development practitioners with a platform to come together, share knowledge and resources and contribute to the development and empowerment of communities worldwide.

The Arab Academic Human Rights Network (AAHRN) aims to strengthen the capacity of academic institutions to perform academic education and research on human rights. The Network was launched in April 2010 when a Memorandum of Understanding was signed between five founding members:
The stated mission of the AAHRN is to strengthen the capacity of academic institutions in formulating and disseminating knowledge on human rights topics responding to the reality and needs of society, with the main objectives to:
Strengthen the institutional capacity of academic institutions to plan, design, organise and implement teaching and research in human rights
Encourage exchange and dialogue between academic institutions
Strengthen the resource base of human rights materials in Arabic

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

Organisation website:
Anat syria are providing employment to Palestinian refugee women as well as Syrian women.
They are preserving the old textile traditions by learning understanding and practising them. They think that they can only be preserved if modern designs are developed based on the old traditions but at the same time fitting the modern way of life.

Project webapge:
UNDP focuses on gender equality and women's empowerment not only as human rights, but also because they are a pathway to achieving the Millennium Development Goals and sustainable development.

Project webpage: Project summary in a portal covering the news of the project WEPASS, by NCLW (National Commission for Lebanese Women). The project aims to empower Lebanese women. Its activities address 'women empowerment' on the personal, social, political and economic levels.

Organisation website:
The Institute of Development Studies (IDS) is a leading global charity for international development research, teaching and communications.
IDS was founded in 1966 and enjoys an international reputation based on the quality of its work and its commitment to applying academic skills to real world challenges. Its purpose is to understand and explain the world, and to try to change it – to influence as well as to inform.

Organisation website:
The National Organization for Women (NOW) is the largest organization of feminist activists in the United States. NOW has 500,000 contributing members and 550 chapters in all 50 states and the District of Columbia.

Since its founding in 1966, NOW's goal has been to take action to bring about equality for all women. NOW works to eliminate discrimination and harassment in the workplace, schools, the justice system, and all other sectors of society; secure abortion, birth control and reproductive rights for all women; end all forms of violence against women; eradicate racism, sexism and homophobia; and promote equality and justice in our society.

Organisation website:
The mission of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) is to promote policies that will improve the economic and social well-being of people around the world.
The OECD provides a forum in which governments can work together to share experiences and seek solutions to common problems.