Iraq Training

In October, ICAN and UNDP Iraq held a two-day workshop on gender responsive approaches to transforming extremisms in Erbil, Iraq. Close to thirty participants from civil society organizations across Iraq, including members of the Women’s Empowerment Department and relevant government institution representatives from the governorates of Basra, Diyala and Thi Qar attended. They discussed the role of gender in violent extremist ideologies and recruitment, how this applies to the Iraqi context, and mapped civil society engagement, responses and gaps within this context. Naraghi Anderlini and Senior Program Officer Stacey Schamber, represented ICAN at the workshop.

“Women have a great role in building a cohesive, conscious, and educated society through the ideas that they impress upon their sons and daughters. We must work to educate women by engaging them in training courses that help them build their capabilities and increase their knowledge.”

- Hassan Abdulhadi Ali, Adviser to the Governor of Basra, Chairman of the Countering Violent Extremism Committee, Workshop Participant