Alleviating Barriers to Women’s Empowerment in Iraqi Kurdistan through the Gendered Graduation Model: Documenting the ‘Stronger Women Stronger Nations’ Program

Abstract

This study documents the international development and humanitarian organization Women for Women International’s graduation model program entitled “Stronger Women Stronger Nations”, and its role in empowering marginalized women residing in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq (KRI). The KRI is continuously impacted by instability in neighboring jurisdictions including Iran to the east, Turkey to the north, Syria to the west and the rest of Iraq to the south.1 Currently 500,000 internally displaced persons and refugees reside in the region, including Syrian, Yazidi and Iraqi individuals.2 The Stronger Women Stronger Nations program aims at assisting vulnerable Syrian, Yazidi and Iraqi women through a holistic graduation approach model which targets social empowerment, economic empowerment, and vocational training throughout the course of twelve months.