Despite their active role in society, women remain excluded from political life and leadership positions in Iraqi Kurdistan. Heartland Alliance International (HAI) is committed to building a world where everyone is free from gender-based discrimination, abuse, harassment, and violence and has equal access to health, jobs, and justice regardless of their sex, gender identity, or sexual orientation. HAI’s four-year project, Future Forward: The Iraqi Women’s Leadership Initiative, works to enhance women’s participation in decision-making processes and strengthen women’s economic rights. As history shows, empowering women and establishing gender equality are critical to building and maintaining good governance, peace, and stability.
In collaboration with the People’s Development Party (PDO) and the Canadian government, HAI conducted a leadership development workshop for women running for a seat in the Iraqi Kurdistan Parliament. More than 15 women from various political factions across the region participated in the training. Following the workshop, three of the women were elected to the Iraqi Kurdistan Parliament. One of the successful candidates was Rozhan Shahid HamaRash, who is a member of the the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK).
“The training gave me confidence and belief in myself. The materials I learned contributed to my successful campaign, especially information on how to connect with people. I have also benefited from learning about the women’s cause, women’s rights, and women’s participation in politics.” – Rozhan Shahid HamaRash
Rozhan’s success, along with that of her two colleagues, illustrates women’s increased participation in Iraqi Kurdistan’s political life. Aram Tofiq, a Project Manager with PDO, outlined the project objectives:
“Our aim in organizing the workshop was to provide political leadership skills training to women running in the 2018 Kurdistan Parliament elections. In our continued efforts to enhance political leadership skills among our participants, we will continue to assist them while they fulfill their duties as elected members of Parliament. Our Future Forward Project will not only focus on political leadership skills, but will also emphasize social, psychological, and vocational training in order to establish an environment that allows women to reach their full potential.”
