International Development Grant

Mashreq Gender Facility - Iraq

Project Number: CA-3-P006542003

Status: Operational

Country/Region:

Iraq 100.00%

Maximum Contribution: $3,300,000.00

Start Date: March 28, 2019

End Date: December 31, 2025

Duration: 6.8 years

Project Description

The project aims to create a funding facility dedicated to empowering women and girls to participate in the Iraq economy contributing to inclusive economic growth in the Mashreq region. The Facility is doing this by providing technical support and funding for strategic regional and country-level initiatives based on Action Plans developed by the respective governments in collaboration with the private sectors and civil society and supported by the international community. The project is identifying and addressing gender constraints to women’s full participation in society and improving women’s access to economic opportunities. This is one of three parts of the Mashreq Gender Facility project in Iraq Jordan and Lebanon which has a total budget of $10 million.

Expected Results

The expected outcomes for this project include: (1) gender constraints to women’s full participation in society in Iraq are identified and addressed; and (2) women’s access to economic opportunities in the Mashreq are improved through the implementation of country-level action plans.

Progress & Results Achieved

Results achieved as of December 2023 include: (1) delivered 11 training courses on financial management to 30 women-led businesses and provided them microloans after the training; (2) produced 2 videos to prepare for a public campaign promoting women’s economic empowerment; (3) delivered a series of capacity-building workshops to support Iraqi governmental employees in mainstreaming gender in national strategies and policies; (4) provided recommendations supporting women’s equal rights on the draft Labour Laws in Federal Iraq and Kurdistan Region of the draft Law on Combating Domestic Violence and the Pension and Social Security Law; and (5) conducted a series of capacity-building workshops on collecting data on childcare services for a variety of ministries and institutions.

Key Information

Executing Agency:
IBRD Trust Funds - World Bank

Reporting Organization:
Global Affairs Canada

Program:
EGM Europe Arctic Middle East and Magh

Last Modified:
September 19, 2025

Development Classifications

DAC Sector:

Women's rights organisations and movements and government institutions 40%
Employment policy and administrative management 20%
Statistical capacity building 20%
Business Development Services 20%

Aid Type: Basket funds/pooled funding

Collaboration: Bilateral

Finance Type: Aid grant excluding debt reorganisation

Selection Mechanism:
Unsolicited Proposal

Policy Markers
Level 2 Gender equality
Major Funding (>$1M)
Budget Breakdown
2018-04-01 to 2019-03-31 $3,300,000 CAD
Geographic Information
674
Reference ID: 320