Women Leading the Water Sector in Duhok

Iraq ranks as one of the countries most impacted by climate change. In recent years, it consistently ranks within the top five water-scarce nations globally and it has recorded some of the highest temperature increases as well. Inter-state but also intra-state water conflicts are already emerging, caused by desertification, water scarcity and pollution, as well as internal migration to cities. Ever-increasing temperatures are leading to drought, increasingly prolonged dry spells and desertification. Already 54% of the agricultural land is no longer usable due to salinisation; 39% of the country’s land is affected by desertification. The quantity and quality of water supply to communities is severely limited in certain regions of Iraq. The economic, social, political and human security of the country’s population of approximately 40 million is subsequently at extreme risk. As women play a central part in the provision, management and safeguarding of water, policies need to be developed and adopted not only to address the specific needs of women with regard to water but also to empower them to participate “at all levels in water resources programmes, including decision-making and implementation”. The goal of this project is to enable the participating women and men to implement a gender-responsive Integrated Water Resource Management.

The “Women Leading the Water Sector in Duhok” project is funded by the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) and implemented by elbarlament in Iraq. Throughout 2022/2023, the project will empower a group of 15 female water practitioners to become gender-sensitive leaders and to increase the ratio of women in decision-making positions in the water sector in Duhok. This is to be achieved through strengthening the women’s capacities in self-awareness and leadership, communication, knowledge of climate change, gender-sensitive planning as well as management in the water sector and best practices from other countries of the region. A workshop for male decision-makers and female practitioners will contribute to the empowerment of women to become leaders in the water sector of Duhok through gender mainstreaming and discussing gender stereotypes.