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AL-MESALLA
Organization for Human Resources Development
Made by IDP women!
“IDP women learn and produce”!
Al Mesalla Organization for Human Resources Development, with the support of
UN-Women and in cooperation with UNFPA, launched a women empowering
project in September 20104 in the governorate of Erbil (City center and Shaqlawa
district)
The project aims to:
1. Ensure economic empowerment of IDP women in Erbil province
2. Promote livelihood skills of IDP women in Erbil province
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Activities:
First Activity: Organization of sewing centers
The project was launched in Erbil City Center in one of the women spaces run by Al
Mesalla. (Other women spaces are run in Bahremandan, Razhan, Kasnazan, and
Shaqlawa). More than 80 women acquired sewing skills as 4 training sessions lasting
one month each were organized.
After completion of the trainings, 70 women started sewing clothes. The production
supervisor of Al Mesalla explains: “The sewing machines and all sewing material have
been provided by UN-Women. Women’s dresses (Dishdashas) have been produced in
the women centers and 1200 dresses were produced in the first month of the project.”
She added that the marketing of the products is conducted by UN-Women and the
clothes are sold directly to international organizations, which distribute them for free to
IDP women and girls in Baharka camp in Erbil province.
The IDP women sewing the clothes are receiving money for their work. One of the
beneficiaries explains: “We want to thank Al Mesalla Organization and its partners for
providing us training and a place for sewing. We receive compensation for our work and
it enables us to make a living and reduce our suffering as IDP women”.
One of the social workers in Bahremendan’s women space explains that while this
project contributes to economic empowerment of displaced women, it also provides an
opportunity for women to interact with other women to exchange views and concerns.
This project is as well providing psycho-social assistance to displaced women in some
ways and during their work, beneficiaries are provided with psychosocial support and
awareness.
In the second month of the project, in order to improve the quality and the quantity of the
production, the Shaqlawa women center was designated to start production of women's
and children's clothing. This center is equipped with better material and the production of
clothes has increased: more than 5,000 women’s dresses (dishdashas) and 500
children's clothes have been produced.
All the products have been marketed to international organizations and to UNFPA in
particular, and they distribute the items to IDP pregnant women and girls living in camps
and outside of camps through Al Mesalla and other partners.
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The project and the productions of clothes are continuing till now.
Second Activity: Organization of life skills trainings for women and girls
Besides training women on sewing and production of clothes, the project also focuses on
the development of life skills among IDP girls and women in the province of Erbil and in
Shaqlawa women center.
Kurdish language sessions are organized for IDP girls and women and so far, 4 sessions
were held which were attended by 76 girls and a woman. A session runs a month’s time
and courses are provided every day for 4 hours.
One of the IDP girls originating from Salahadeen province participated in the Kurdish
language course. She said: “I benefited a lot from this training course, I learned to
communicate with my neighbors and with others, now I can understand Kurdish very well
and I can talk a little bit, thank you.”
In addition to language skills, this project provides the opportunity to acquire computer
skills especially to learn to use MS Word. 40 IDP girls aged between 15-24 years old
benefited from the courses.
The supervisor of vocational trainings in Al Mesalla Organization explains: “Life-skills
trainings are designed upon the request of IDP women and girls themselves. The
beneficiaries request what they need. We have organized trainings with the United
Nations Development Fund for Women, UNFPA. The first training that was launched was
the language course, it was attended mostly by older women but in the computer
training, all beneficiaries are girls who are not more than 24 years old.”
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This report has been compiled by Al Mesalla for Human Resources for Development.
Al Mesalla is a non-governmental, non-profit Iraqi organization. Its headquarters are located in
Erbil, the capital of Kurdistan region. It aims to participate in: disseminating the practices of civil
society, democracy, peace building, conflict management; Raising awareness about human
rights, non-violence, voluntary work; empowerment and providing social, economical, legal
services for women and vulnerable groups, throughout all of Iraqi
provinces.
Date of publication of the report: December 2014
For more information, contact Al Mesalla: [email protected]
Website: http://www.almesalla.org
Contact Phone Number: +964 4150511
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