The "Engendering Peace" project aims to promote a gender perspective in the ongoing peace processes in Iraq and Lebanon in order to guarantee their sustainability and to ensure the full participation of women in the peacemaking and peacebuilding phases, in line with UN Resolution 1325. This general goal will be pursued through two specific objectives.

First, the women empowerment to produce and disseminate their own narrative about war, focusing on their active role, the violations they have suffered, the traumas they have experienced and the influence of these issues on their identity.

In addition, an attempt will be made to build a regional community of Fighters for Peace, with opportunities for exchange between women in Iraq and Lebanon, to promote in the Middle East a public debate on women's participation in the peace processes.

The people targeted by the intervention are women resident in Iraq, including minority members, Syrian refugees and GBV survivors; and women resident in Lebanon, including former fighters who participated in the civil war of the country (1975 - 1990).

The intervention includes the organization of psycho-social support workshops in Iraq, aimed both at women GBV survivors and psychologists, for a professional training on post-traumatic stress disorder therapy for women; leadership workshops directed to 120 Iraqi women and Syrian refugees in Iraq; round tables to deepen the issues of Resolution 1325; and a series of awareness-raising activities in the media, schools and universities. Finally, exchanges between women in Iraq and Lebanon will be organized to open a dialogue on women's experience in war contexts.

SUMMARY 

Project title: Engendering Peace 

Project type: Women empowerment

Beneficiaries: Iraqi, Syrian and Lebanese women, GBV survivors, former fighters

Length: April 2020 - January 2021

Project areas: Lebanon (Beirut); Iraq (Baghdad, Erbil, Dohuk, Sinjar)

Partners: Fighters for Peace, Dak Organization for Ezidi Women Development, Youth Bridge Development Organization, DOZ, Iraqi Social Forum, Centro Studi Difesa Civile.

Donors: DGAP- Direzione Generale per gli Affari Politici