UNITE! 16 Days of Activism to End Gender-Based Violence Against Women and Girls

We are at the threshold of a pivotal moment in our collective journey towards gender equality. Until December 10, Tahfeez is honored to participate in the global 16 Days of Activism Campaign against Gender-Based Violence.? We hope that you will advocate alongside us.?

During this period, DCEO/Tahfeez will actively participate in the worldwide campaign for 16 Days of Activism against Gender-based Violence . The 2023 theme is ?UNITE! Invest to prevent violence against women and girls . Let’s reaffirm, together, our commitment to creating a society that is safe and secure.??

What is DCEO/Tahfeez?? Why is this group advocating?

Implemented by Chemonics International, we are a USAID-funded project in Iraq known as Durable Communities and Economic Opportunities (DCEO).? The project delivers assistance through two complementary workstreams: Durable Communities and Economic Opportunities.? Our local name is Tahfeez, which means motivation.? During this campaign, you’ll see frequent posts by the DCEO/Tahfeez team.? We invite you to UNITE to intensify our message during this important campaign.??

As a project, we work closely together with vulnerable communities, victims of conflict, private enterprises, and business associations to cultivate community cohesion and enhance private sector competitiveness. The purpose of DCEO/Tahfeez is to support Iraqis in building resilient, adaptive communities and to advance economic well-being by addressing underlying drivers of conflict, increasing community leadership of inclusive local development, improving private sector networks, and enhancing micro-, small-, and medium-sized enterprise (MSME) competitiveness.??

Through our Durable Communities workstream, DCEO/Tahfeez has worked across 12 target communities in five governorates since 2020 to improve community cohesion and build foundations for economic growth. First, the project convened participatory problem-solving dialogues to identify the root causes of conflict at the community level. Next, we implemented rapid solutions to establish trust and accountability with communities. This activity was followed by delivering longer-term, more durable solutions to resolve conflict drivers, empowering local leadership, enhancing trust between local government and communities, and delivering tailored assistance to vulnerable groups to (re-)create and sustain livelihoods.???

In areas such as strengthening leadership, problem-solving, and business skills, activities were designed in a manner that aimed to sustainably change capabilities and opportunities for participants, which led to direct impact on community-led processes and resources and facilitated sustainable, positive change for Iraqi communities.??

"The presence of women in these professions is a source of pride for our city, and there is no finer finer support than fostering identity and cultural heritage endeavors at this juncture." -Omar Adel, Mosul Resident

DCEO/Tahfeez utilizes various approaches to implement solutions effectively and meet objectives, including through grants with local partners, subcontracts, and direct technical assistance.??

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About the 16 Days Campaign and the UNITE Theme

The advocacy theme “UNITE! Invest to prevent violence against women and girls ” is a powerful call to action.?This year’s theme resonates deeply with our core values and mission. It urges us all to forge a society where the safety and security of women is not a privilege but a respected fundamental right.

The Global 16 Days Campaign is an international campaign to challenge society to change accepted norms to eliminate violence against women and girls. The campaign begins every year on November 25th, the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, and concludes on December 10th, International Human Rights Day.?

To galvanize awareness in Iraq and worldwide, we highlight stories of how women overcome obstacles in their communities through our project’s support. This year, you will read about Aseel’s professional development journey, Shler’s culinary success, Gargee'an nights' culture bazaar, and many more emerging Iraqi leaders.

Empowerment Through Three Stories

1.???? Aseel's Professional Development Journey: Aseel’s story is a testament to overcoming adversity in the competitive job market. The USAID-funded Tahfeez program was pivotal in enhancing her English, accounting, and IT skills, aligning her expertise with substantial job opportunities.

2.???? Shler's Culinary Success: Shler's transformation from a home chef to a successful entrepreneur was facilitated by the support of USAID at the Culture Bazaar event in Baharka, Erbil. This platform showcased her culinary talents and emphasized the importance of gender equity and the empowerment of women entrepreneurs.

3.???? Gargee'an Nights – Empowering Women Entrepreneurs: This event, supported by community representatives and volunteers, was a cornerstone in leveraging women-led, home-based businesses. It provided a significant impetus to 20 business owners in organizing and executing the event, thereby strengthening their entrepreneurial ventures to generate higher revenue.

As we align our efforts with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals to eradicate violence against women and girls, we invite you to join hands in this global campaign. The narratives of Iraqi women overcoming adversity are not just stories – they are beacons of light, hope, and inspiration.?

This campaign unites by expanding awareness.? It also showcases individual solutions to end violence against women and girls. Advocacy campaigns aim to drive a sizeable scale and impact to achieve the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals (SDG).? To reach the SDGs, we must work together to stop violence. Watch the video message below to learn more about the campaign:

Violence Transcends Borders and Cultures

Violence threatens lives, undermines families and communities, and impedes the progress of nations. We?offer the voices and achievements of Iraqi?women. Their compelling stories will inspire you and bring hope to others.? Do follow and share our 2023 campaign messages and stories. ?You will read powerful success stories from formidable Iraqi women and young female emerging leaders who are determined to make a judicious difference in their communities.?Each woman is deeply engaged in developing community resilience and cohesion and has been supported by our project, Tahfeez. ?

"It's such a great feeling when you present something to your community that you are proud of. What is even greater is to see that the community is supporting you with all their heart," -Female business owner and bazaar participant

As we progress through the 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence, we must pause and reflect on the stories of resilience and courage exhibited by Iraqi women, stories that have been at the forefront of our project #Tahfeez.

“The ultimate goal is to undertake explicit steps so that no one is left behind as we work together to stop the cycle of violence against women and girls.” Susanne E. Jalbert, Ph.D., Chief of Party, DCEO/Tahfeez, video statement for the 16 Days of Activism campaign

Insights, Challenges, Sample Statistics

Our role as representatives of Chemonics and the Tahfeez project in Iraq extends beyond mere advocacy; we are actively engaged in addressing inequalities and working towards the prevention and response to gender-based violence.

UNDP's global data presents a dramatic and concerning picture of the violence endured by women and girls:

·?????? one in three women is subjected to physical or sexual violence.

·?????? Particularly alarming is the plight of women and girls with disabilities, who face significantly higher risks of various forms of violence.

• In the Arab States, a regional study found that 60 percent of women internet users in the region had been exposed to online violence in the past year.
• In 2021, around 45,000 women and girls worldwide were killed by intimate partners or family members.
• On average, more than five women or girls are killed every hour by someone in their own family.
• Of those who have been in a relationship, almost one in four adolescent girls aged 15–19 (24 percent) has experienced physical and/or sexual violence from an intimate partner or husband.
• Sixteen percent of young women aged 15 to 24 experienced this violence in the past 12 months.

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How Does What We Do at DCEO/Tahfeez Tie to the Campaign

Focus!? This is our starting point.? As Chemonics and DCEO/Tahfeez project representatives in Iraq, our team’s work is committed to spotlighting and reducing gender inequality.? Threaded into both our economic and community activities, our efforts intend to attack root problems to prevent and respond to gender-based violence.??The campaign for 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence is an example and a commitment of our deep concern.

Campaign Close

The 16-day campaign closes yearly on December 10, aligned with International Human Rights Day.? 1948, the United Nations General Assembly adopted the Universal Declaration of Human Rights . This U.N. declaration and its committee were led by an admired mentor, Mrs. Eleanor Roosevelt, a remarkable human rights visionary, who said, “The destiny of human rights is in the hands of all our citizens in all our communities.”

We honor the declaration, for it proclaimed the inalienable rights to which everyone is inherently entitled. Our project widely promotes the protection of women and girls and a wholly peaceful nation by expanding economic opportunities and durable communities. Over the past two decades, many laws, policies, and strategies were developed by Iraqi women, such as the National Action Plan for Iraqi Women, a national strategy for combating violence against women, the adoption of the Convention to Eliminate All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW), and many more.?

The campaign 16 Days to End Gender-based Violence may officially end on December 10, but our work is NOT done.? The global community must raise collective voices and ACT 365 days a year to protect and safeguard women’s rights.? While it is necessary to support survivors, it is just as important to support prevention work that directly deals with systemic root causes of poverty, illiteracy, harmful traditional practices, etc. Reflecting on and sharing economic lessons learned can help us improve programming. ?

Our project success stories demonstrate that every woman and girl should experience human rights, women’s rights, economic dignity, and full gender equality to be safe and secure in Iraq and everywhere in the world.

Our Commitment to Change: This campaign is not just an event in our calendar but a manifestation of our unwavering dedication to this cause. Supporting survivors of violence is critical, but equally important is our commitment to preventative measures that tackle the root causes of such violence.

Going forward, remember that our work is not done. ?It will take experienced leaders and emerging leaders to focus on this global problem.

"I intervented in a tribal conflict between two conflicting tribes in my village and I was able to control the session counting on what I have learnt during the [negotioation and leadership] workshop. The tools assisted me to reach a peaceful solution that put the two parties at peace." -Zubair Emerging Leader

Thank you all for following the DCEO/Tahfeez team, who have advocated actively on social media during the 16 days of activism campaign.? Like you, we endeavor to create a safe world for all.?

The clarion call to action is to keep advocating and amplifying our messages.? Together, we can UNITE to end #GenderBasedViolence in our communities!?

#EndViolence#EndViolence #EndViolence #Tahfeez

"Peace is not only absence of violence, but it is also a just rule of law and equitable economic well-being," -S.E. Jalbert, Ph.D., Women in Business Conference, Baghdad, Iraq 2007

BRIEF BIO Susanne E. Jalbert, Ph.D., Chief of Party

Susanne E. Jalbert, Ph.D. <[email protected] > is the Chief of Party of USAID Iraq Durable Communities and Economic Opportunities (aka DCEO/Tahfeez) implemented Chemonics International .? She is a committed gender equity advocate, economic development activist, and a women’s rights political strategist with over 25 years of experience on 85+ assignments with 35+ USAID implementers in about 50 countries on four continents.

For Chemonics International in Afghanistan 2018-2020, she served as the Chief of Party for USAID-Afghanistan’s Promote Women in Government program. Globally, the four task orders of Promote were USAID's largest-ever investment in women's empowerment. She also served as Chief of Party for the USAID-Moldova Anti-Trafficking Initiative and conducted ground-breaking research to counter human trafficking. In Iraq in 2004, she served as Chief of Party for USAID Private Sector Development Initiative and from 2006 to 2009 as Business Services Development Director for USAID-Iraq’s Izdihar and Tijara.

Dr. Jalbert holds an M.A. and Ph.D. in adult education and human resources from Colorado State University and a B.A. in management from St. Mary’s College in Moraga, California.

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