Women in Fact sheet March 2012

INTRODUCTION Illiteracy and Unemployment either working or actively seeking work, and Reasons for Not Attending School of those more than one in five is unemployed.6 Source: Government of Iraq, Iraq National Youth & Adolescents Survey 2009 Years of dictatorship, international sanctions, Reasons for Not Attending School for Young among women 15 years and above In comparison, 73% of men are employed and armed conflict have affected Iraq’s social or seeking work, of which one in ten is Young IlliterateIlliterate Women Women fabric and contributed to a deterioration Dahuk Dahuk unemployed. Moreover, women’s labor force in the lives of Iraqi women.1 As a signatory status appears to have deteriorated in recent 7% to the International Covenant on Civil and Parents Refuse years: since 2008 the number of women active Political Rights (ICCPR) and the Convention on ENrbinilewa Finance Ninewa in the labor force has decreased while the 23% the Elimination of all forms of Discrimination 7 Illness Sulaymaniyah unemployment rate has increased. Against Women (CEDAW), the Government of Kirkuk 50% Salah al-Din Work Iraq (GoI) is committed to improving gender Salah al-Din Conditions appear to be hardest for young equality and women’s rights. Moreover, the women. Only a tenth of women aged 15- 1% School is far

United Nation’s Security Council Resolution Diya29la are working or actively seeking work, 3% Other 1325 as well as Millennium Development Diyala of which over a third are unemployed. 16% Anbar Goal 3: Promote and Anbar Baghdad Surprisingly perhaps, access to work is most empower women both underline difficult for young women with higher levels Reasons for not Attending School for Young the importance of progress in Babil Wofas s education:it the unemployment rate Kerbala Babil Wassit Young IlliterateIlliterate Men Men the status of women in attaining Kerbala for young women climbs to 41% for Qadissiya human rights and development QadissiyaNajaf those with a diploma or more and objectives. As such the protection and Najaf asM ihighssan as 68% for those with a 10% Missan 15% Parents Refuse Illiteracy rate Thi-Qar empowerment of women was identifiedIlliteracy rasate a bachelor’s degree. women 15+ yrs Thi-Qar Finance priority in the GoI’s National Developmentwomen 15 Plan+ yrs Basrah 36% - 40% Basrah 36% - 40% The difficulties faced by young 20% (2010-2014), as well as in the Development 31% - 35% Illness 31% - 35% educated women may be tied Assistance Framework (2011-2014) developed 21% - 30% Muthanna 21% - 30% Muthanna to the limited opportunities Work by the UN in close cooperation with the GoI. 10% - 20% 28% 10% - 20% for women in the labor market. School is far The vast majority of employed 17% Other Literacy & Education women (94%) are in the public Unemployment rate women 15+ yrs Source: WFP CFSVA 2007 10% Achieving gender equality in educationUnem plo isym ent rate women 15+ yrs sector. The So privateurce: WFP CF sectorSVA 2007 offers little for integral to achieving both women’s rights cultural and social factors often remain Souwomen:rce: WFP CFS ofVA 2all007 private sector employees, only and sustainable economic and social obstacles to improvements in ’ access to 2% are women. Of those women with private constitute a highly vulnerable segment of development. The illiteracy rate among education.4 Early remain prevalent, sector jobs, 71% have little or no education the Iraqi population. Close to one in ten Iraqi Iraqi women (24%) is more than double that and familial concerns and parental objection and most work in agriculture. With four out households is female-led, corresponding to 2 among Iraqi men (11%). In functional literacy have been identified as a main reason behind of five rural women working in agriculture, approximately 450,000 households. Nine tests (when asked to read a sentence out loud) non-enrollment.5 the Iraqi government has identified the high out of ten women heading households are illiteracy rose above 50% for women aged 15- reliance on women for agricultural labor as a widows.9 Government programs intended 24 living in rural areas.3 Iraq has some way to specific obstacle to development to support widows suffer from corruption, Labor Force and “Across the country, go in reaching the Millennium Development in rural areas.8 outdated systems, and administrative only 14% of all Goal targets of 100% for both net enrollment Employment obstacles.10 Assessments of female headed women are either and male-to-female enrollment ratios: one Girls’ low levels of education have households conducted by the IOM in 2011 working or actively Female Headed in three girls aged 12-14 is not enrolled in a negative impact on the current confirmed critical issues related to access to seeking work, school, while one in ten of the same age group and future participation of women Households work, food insecurity, and inadequate shelter, and of those more has never attended school, according to the in Iraq’s labor force. Across the Following years of conflict in all of which make women headed households than one in five is Iraq Knowledge Network Survey. Traditional country, only 14% of all women are Iraq, female-headed households vulnerable to abuse and exploitation.11 Despite unemployed.” Fact sheet

49 has suffered physical violence at the hands Experience and acceptanceDa hofuk Priority NeedsPriority of Needs Assessed of Assessed Vulnerable Vulnerable Female Female Headed Headed Households Households domestic violence among women of husbands, 33% have suffered emotional violence, and 83% have been subjected to 40% aged 15-49 controlling behavior by their husbands.13 Dahuk 30% Erbil Moreover a Regional Government Ninewa report on female genital mutilation indicates Kirkuk 20% Sulaytheman iy practiceah may affect as many as 41% of women in Kurdistan.14 Many of the issues Erbil 10% Ninewa related to the violation of women’s rights Kirkuk Salah al-Din arise from entrenched cultural traditions Sulaymaniyah 0% and social practices.15 A 2009 youth survey Baghdad Diyala showed 68% of young Iraqi men believe that NFI Food Other Water Salah al-Din Witas sisit acceptable to kill a for profaning a Health Kerbala Babil Hygiene

Anbar Electricity Education Sanitation family’s honor, while 50% believe wife Legal Help Diyala Baghdad Qadissiya beating is acceptable.16 Meanwhile, Access to Work Source: IOM Special Report on Female Headed Household - October 2011 Wassit young Iraqi women and men Shelter/Housing Kerbala Babil Thi-QarMissan Anbar cited family upbringing (40%), QaNdaisjasifya religion (37%) and the law violence bill with support of NGOs, civil society Endnotes (35%) as major factors that activists and government officials. Thi-QarMissan 1 GoI National Development Plan (NDP) 2010-2014; Baswouldrah help prevent violence Muthanna UNAMI Human Rights Office/OHCHR 2011 Najaf against women, considerably UN Response 2 World Food Program, CFSVA 2007 % of women (15 - 49 yrs) who more than the media (6%) The GoI and UN agencies are working to 3 Children’s Fund, MICS 2006 accept physical domestic violence Basrah or schools (3%).17 Despite 4 GoI National Development Plan (NDP) 2010-2014 Muthanna implement the comprehensive framework encouraging legal reforms by needed to promote gender equality through 5 UNFPA/COSIT/KRSO/Ministry of Youth and Sport Iraq National Youth Survey 2009; GoI National Development % of women (15 - 49 yrs) who the KRG, the Iraqi penal code a combination of legal reforms, governmental Plan (NDP) 2010-2014 accept phy%sicoaflwdomenst(i1c5v-io4l9enycres) who continues to offer reduced policies and support programs, and civil society 6 Iraq Knowledge Network 2011; Relaxed definition of experience physical domestic violence Source: Iraq Knowledge Network 2011 sentences for ‘honor killings’, capacity building. The UN currently has more unemployment (includes women not actively looking 8.0% - 15.0% and to authorize husbands to ‘discipline’ their than seventeen national and local for work) 18 % of women (15 - 1459.1%yr-s2)1w.9h%o wives. “NGOs and civil projects focused on gender issues 7 COSIT Labour Force Survey 2008 experience physical domestic violtheence burden of caring 8 GoI National Development Plan (NDP) 2010-2014 22.0% - 28.9% with a total budget surpassing for often-large families society organizations 8.0% - 15.0% Civil Society Response are joining forces to $20 million. Implemented by UN 9 World Food Program, CFSVA 2007 29.0% - 35.8% by themselves, the vast 10 IOM Iraq Special Report on Female Headed 15.1% - 21.9% NGOs and civil society advance the gender Women, UNESCO, UNICEF, IOM, 35.9% - 42.8% majority are not working Households October 2011 UNDP, UNFPA, and WHO, the projects 22.0% - 28.9% and are dependent on organizations are joining forces to equality and women 11 Ibid empowerment include combating violence against 29.0% - 35.8% aid from the state and advance the gender equality and 12 CSO/KRSO/UN/Iraq Knowledge Network 2011 12 women empowerment agenda. At agenda.” women, improving women’s access 35.9% - 42.8% community. 13 WHO/COSIT/KRSO/Ministry of Health Iraq Family the federal level, NGOs have come to education and employment, Health Survey 2006-2007 together to work on the implementation livelihood and psychological support to 14 KRG Ministry of Health cited in UNAMI Human Rights of UNSCR 1325 reaching out to both the female-headed households, gender-focused Office/OHCHR 2010 Report on human rights in Iraq Iraqi women continue to face widespread government and the UN to support this governance and institutional capacity building 15 UNAMI Human Rights Office/OHCHR 2010 Report on instances of gender based violence, including programs with GoI, and support to legal reform human rights in Iraq, GoI National Development Plan concerted effort. The government is working (NDP) 2010-2014 domestic violence, honor killings, and and civil society initiatives for women’s rights to develop fully-fledged women’s ministries, 16 UNFPA/COSIT/KRSO/Ministry of Youth and Sport Iraq trafficking. One in five women (21%) aged 15- both at the federal and the KRG level, while and women’s health. National Youth Survey 2009 the KRG parliament passed the anti-domestic 17 Ibid 18 UNAMI Human Rights Office/OHCHR 2011

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