Work is effective despite the pandemic: evaluation in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq

The objective of the joint project implemented by medica mondiale and HAUKARI together with the local partner organizations KHANZAD and EMMA (2018-2022) was to create an empowering and protective environment for women affected by violence in displacement settings in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq. Despite considerable limitations, mostly caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, the final evaluation points to positive impacts at the institutional level as well as for women and girls.

The project promoted trauma-sensitive support for women and girls affected by violence in IDP settings in the provinces of Dohuk and Erbil, as well as in Sulaymania and the Garmian region. In addition, the project focused on capacity building and improved networking among state institutions (e.g. police), but also among civil society stakeholders. In partnership with decision-makers in the region the goal was to strengthen support services in the long term.

Education and awareness-raising: Important for development in Northern Iraq

In particular, the education and awareness-raising courses conducted by the local partner organizations KHANZAD and EMMA reached many women and enabled them to secure their livelihoods, but also to receive further counseling. As a result, the women's understanding of their own rights and the unlawfulness of violence increased significantly. Through an extensive supervision program, the project staff and service providers accompanying women affected by violence were helped to feel valued and strengthened for their future work.

From the start of the project, the cooperation of the project staff with state actors as well as networking between governmental and civil society support structures required a great deal of effort. The extensive administrative requirements tied up time and energy, which intensified in early 2020 with the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.