Supporting gender-responsive local governance through Women’s Advisory Boards – Phase 2

The project aims to improve gender-responsive decision making in political institutions and processes. The project also seeks to strengthen the women’s movement in Iraq by empowering Women’s Advisory Boards (WABs) in five Iraqi governorates. It seeks to increase the capacity of women within these WABs in creating evidence-based initiatives responding to community-identified needs at the local provincial and national levels while facilitating linkages with key decision-makers and male allies to build trust and ensure the WABs can effectively influence decision-making. Women with more experience in advocacy will also form an advisory committee providing mentorship support to new WAB members. The project also aims to provide training to further strengthen participants’ leadership coordination and consensus building skills. This approach builds on a successful first phase where National Democratic Institute (NDI) developed and established the WAB model in the 5 governorates liberated from Daesh.

The expected outcomes of this project include: (1) advanced gender responsive policy and decision-making in political institutions and processes by decision makers and women activists in all their diversity; and (2) strengthened effectiveness of the WABs.