Project profile — Enhanced Governance for Improving the Well-Being of the Most Vulnerable Women and Girls in Iraq

• Iraq (100.00%)

• Population policy and administrative management:
Population policy and administrative management (13010) (50.00%)
Reproductive health care (13020) (17.00%)
Personnel development for population and reproductive health (13081) (33.00%)

• Gender equality (significant objective)
• Environmental sustainability (cross-cutting) (not targeted)
• Participatory development and good governance (principal objective)
• Trade development (not targeted)
• Biodiversity (not targeted)
• Climate change mitigation (not targeted)
• Climate Change Adaptation (not targeted)
• Urban issues (not targeted)
• Desertification (not targeted)
• Children's issues (not targeted)
• Youth Issues (significant objective)
• Indigenous Issues (not targeted)
• Disability (not targeted)
• Nutrition (significant objective)
• ICT as a tool for development (not targeted)

This project seeks to encourage greater use of integrated sexual and reproductive health services by women and girls. The project works to increase policy makers’ awareness of gender gaps in existing policies and programs, with the aim of strengthening these policies in Iraq. The project aims to increase awareness of the need to prevent and respond to gender-based violence (GBV) and other harmful practices. The project offers training to health managers to strengthen health systems to deliver quality integrated sexual and reproductive health services.

The expected outcomes for this project include: (1) gender equality and the empowerment of women and girls, especially for the most vulnerable and marginalized, are advanced through 2,000 decision- makers trained to address gender equality (GE) and GBV issues, and at least three national policies and two laws integrate GE; (2) 12 advocacy campaigns on GE, GBV, and harmful practices led by authorities and coordinated by the UNFPA; (3) significant rise (40% in targeted groups) in awareness of domestic abuse, and legal and protection recourses; (4) more than 800 women accessing new protection support in 4 new shelters; (5) women and girls, especially those most vulnerable, utilize integrated sexual and reproductive health services, and exercise reproductive rights, free of coercion, discrimination and violence through: 2,000 health workers trained in reproductive health, and 40 health facilities receive new equipment; (6) reproductive health data improved through 4 surveys (in conflict-affected areas); increased use of contraceptives; (7) high proportion of deliveries attended by skilled health workers.

Results achieved as of the end of the project (December 2022) include: (1) consulted and sensitized 897 policymakers and opinion leaders to gender equality and gender-based violence (GBV) issues relevant to law and policy change process; (2) reviewed or developed policies and legal frameworks of clinical management of rape protocol, a child marriage strategy, national and regional violence against women strategies and action plans; (3) facilitated eight advocacy campaigns in coordination with authorities in federal Iraq and the Kurdistan Region of Iraq; (4) raised awareness of service providers on antenatal care and family planning counselling using different channels in 40 health centers and provided access to gender-based violence services to 67,982 women and girls through women protection facilities and shelters in Iraq; (5) established two new government-run women’s shelters and built the capacity of 598 individuals, including GBV specialists, case managers and reproductive health coordinators in Iraq; (6) trained 31 social workers and case managers to provide GBV services through a hotline center, trained 2,015 health workers on reproductive health topics and supported 55 health facilities with reproductive health commodities and equipment; (7) conducted three surveys among beneficiaries of United Nations Population Fund-supported reproductive health facilities; and (8) skilled health workers attended 96% of deliveries.

• Proactive disclosure