In march 2010 representatives of women organizations from Iraq participated in the UN CSW 54th session, organized by Norwegian Church Aid.
Under the new time frame of the Capacity Building and Human Rights Program for Iraq, Norwegian Church Aid facilitated the participation of women activists and committed leaders of women’s organizations in Iraq, in the 54th session of the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) held in New York at the beginning of March 2010.
This year’s session of the Commission was of particular importance and interest to the global women’s movement, as it was marking the 15th anniversary of the Beijing Platform for Action.
Better understanding
Participation in this session and in the lobbying process with NGOs from around the globe was an opportunity for empowerment for women from Iraq. It also gave a better understanding of the Beijing Platform for Action and its 12 critical areas of concern, for enabling them to use the Platform as a tool in their own work in their organizations, addressing violence against women in Iraq.
Report from the participation
The report from the sessions sheds light on the special importance of the participation of women from Iraq in the UN CSW sessions, as women from Iraq have had very limited possibilities for contact with the international women’s movement or the international community in general.
Read the full report here!
Insight into the UN system
Furthermore, participation aimed at giving them an insight into the UN system, and the lobbying mechanism, this way raising their competence and enabling them to have their voices heard both nationally and internationally. This occasion also provided a unique opportunity for networking, creating links with the international women’s movement, and making alliances.