International Development Grant
Gender and Social Protection in Iraq: Towards Women's Economic Empowerment
Project Number: CA-3-P005619001
Status: Closed
Country/Region:
Maximum Contribution: $2,498,550.00
Start Date: September 12, 2018
End Date: June 30, 2022
Duration: 3.8 years
Project Description
The project aims to advance inclusive governance and women’s empowerment in Iraq by identifying legal barriers and constraints affecting women’s ability to work and by supporting the drafting and effective implementation of legislation removing these legal barriers. The project works in partnership with the Secretariat General of the Council of Ministers and the Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs. It supports the delivery of the Government of Iraq’s programs focusing on the economic and political empowerment of women. Project activities include: (1) providing technical assistance to review legislation and draft recommendations; (2) training government staff to conduct gender sensitization and awareness; and (3) publishing manuals and guidelines for use in policy development and legislative drafting.
Expected Results
The expected outcomes for this project include: (1) reduced legal barriers to women’s economic and political empowerment; and (2) reduced social and psychological barriers to women’s empowerment including those related to their capacities.
Progress & Results Achieved
Results achieved at the end of the project (June 2022) include: (1) developed and disseminated a comprehensive report on the laws and policies that impact women’s rights in Iraq particularly their economic rights; (2) provided recommendations for legislative reform that the Kurdistan region of Iraq integrated into revisions of its labour law and are informing revisions to Iraq’s federal labour law; (3) developed and disseminated an assessment of the main challenges affecting the implementation of existing laws; (4) developed and disseminated a gender mainstreaming toolkit and strengthened the capacity of 16 staff members from the Women’s Empowerment Directorate to use the toolkit to mainstream gender equality consideration into Iraq’s policies and legislation; (5) developed and disseminated a comprehensive review of women’s business leadership and skills training programs in Iraq to improve training programs and ensure more effective monitoring and evaluation of their impacts; (6) strengthened the capacity of 10 individuals from the Directorate of Non-Governmental and Civil Society Organizations to improve the service delivery to support women’s empowerment and strengthened their capacity to transfer this knowledge to their peers; such as training of trainers; (7) strengthened the capacity of 14 Director Generals and Directors of women’s empowerment sections in key Ministries and the Iraqi Council of Ministers Secretariat to effectively deliver programs on women’s business and leadership skills; (8) developed and disseminated a study on the barriers that prevent Iraqi women from joining the workforce; (9) conducted a household survey to better understand how social norms and cultural beliefs influence women’s ability or decisions to participate in the workforce; (10) provided recommendations for social behaviour change campaigns currently integrated into media campaigns implemented in federal Iraq and the Kurdistan Region of Iraq; (11) conducted a peer-reviewed s
Key Information
Executing Agency:
World Bank
Reporting Organization:
Global Affairs Canada
Program:
EGM Europe Arctic Middle East and Magh
Last Modified:
September 19, 2025
Development Classifications
DAC Sector:
Aid Type: Contributions to specific-purpose programmes and funds managed by implementing partners
Collaboration: Bilateral
Finance Type: Aid grant excluding debt reorganisation
Selection Mechanism:
Department-Initiated