02 April 2009
Jubaira is a 70-year-old woman living in the city of Najaf. During the height of the conflict in Iraq, her husband was killed during an attack on a military base. Her only son was left traumatised by the attack, and Jubaira was left to look after him - and herself - alone. Being unable to read or write and with no pension, Jubaira faced destitution.
But with DFID support to a humanitarian organisation working in the country, Jubaira was able to buy a kiosk to sell candles, giving her a sustainable source of income. While life is far from easy, she is now at least able to provide for herself and her son.
Jubaira’s story is just one example of how women can be particularly vulnerable to the effects of conflict. It also shows the important role that DFID's support is playing.
DFID's approach is to focus on agencies such as the Unicef, UNHCR (the UN's refugee agency), and other humanitarian organisations with coverage, expertise and a track record of supporting vulnerable women.
Self-sufficiency
"Women who have lost their husbands because of the conflict face particular challenges," says Caroline Douilliez-Sabouba, who works directly with women affected by conflict in Iraq.
"Tradition, insecurity, high unemployment and poor education all limit their chances of finding work. They rely on relatives and neighbours, but the conflict has reduced the ability of the community to support them. Many female-headed families live in poverty, unable to pay for enough food, decent accommodation, electricity, healthcare and education."
This year, DFID's support for humanitarian organisations in Iraq has enabled them to provide food, income, security, healthcare and protection to women across the country. For those like Jubaira, who are alone and in charge of their families, the main goal is economic self-sufficiency. Projects include small grants and training in skills that help provide job opportunities and improve health in the community.
DFID's support has also helped one organisation to appoint an expert on 'women in conflict'. As a result, the organisation has included a gender perspective in all its programmes, substantially strengthening its assistance to vulnerable women in Iraq.
Providing protection
DFID has also given £2 million to Unicef to support its humanitarian programmes. This includes setting up 36 "community protection teams" to assist 24,000 people to find the social services they need. An important element is helping women experiencing domestic abuse or violence to find protection.
One beneficiary of Unicef’s programme is a young girl named Zaina (not her real name). After she was raped by her uncle, her mother was in shock and did not know where to turn. Since Zaina was still vulnerable at home, she needed to find alternative carers. Fortunately, the Unicef programme was able to step in to help her find foster parents. Zaina can now start to rebuild her life in the knowledge that she is safe from abuse.
Thankfully, the worst of the conflict is now over and Iraq is beginning to look to the future with some optimism. The provincial elections in January saw women winning a record 103 out of 440 seats.
But despite this progress, many women like Jubaira and Zaina will have to live with the impact of conflict for years to come. DFID is at the forefront of efforts to help them achieve a brighter future - its strategy is to support those agencies which are really effective at addressing women’s needs and work with them to maximise their impact, including through robust monitoring. This ensures that every pound of DFID funding provides the greatest possible help to vulnerable women in Iraq.
Facts and stats
- Over the past two years, DFID has provided £34 million of support to humanitarian organisations in Iraq, £14 million of which has been provided this year.
- Since 2003, DFID has given £180 million towards humanitarian activities in the country.