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.
However, through a DFID-supported humanitarian organisation working in the country, Jubaira was able to buy a kiosk to sell candles, which gave 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.
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."
Humanitarian organisations working in Iraq have provided food, income, security, healthcare and protection to women across the country. For those like Jubaira who are alone and in charge of 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.
One organisation has also appointed 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
Help is also being provided to women experiencing domestic abuse or violence. Unicef, for example, has set up 36 "community protection teams" to assist 24,000 people to find the social services they need.
One beneficiary of this help is a young girl named Zaina (not her real name), who was raped by her uncle. After the attack, Zaina’s mother was in shock and did not know where to turn. But Zaina was still vulnerable at home and needed to find alternative carers. Fortunately the Unicef programme was able to step in to help the girl find foster parents. Zaina can now start to rebuild her life in the knowledge that she is safe from abuse.
Facts and stats
- Over the past two years, DFID has provided £34 million of support to humanitarian organisations in Iraq, £14 million of which was provided in 2009.
- DFID has provided £2 million to Unicef to support its humanitarian programmes in Iraq.
- Since 2003, DFID has given £180 million towards humanitarian activities in Iraq.