Implemented organization: Emma organization for human development
Type of Report: Annual report
Duration: January- December 2020
Putting women’s right at the center of work, and recognizing their power and privilege are very effective ways for them to be empowered within the environment they are living in. Emma organization for human development continually try its best to deliver legal, psychological, social serveries to a forgotten women and young girls by encouraging them to have an access to work outside the house for one day to be a reliable personality. Moreover, it believes that winning women right is about more than giving opportunities to any individual women and girls, it is also about changing how county and community work. It involves changing laws and policies, winning hearts and minds, and investing more in strong women’s organizations and movements, this will help women have an access to all fields of job just as men are already having, then the word discrimination against female that has been used long ago would be putted out in the near future, at the same time that would help them to create a bright future for themselves without facing any religion and social barriers in their way to the top. Furthermore, women will have a complete access to the finance. Emma organization unstoppably works to teach women and girls new skills. It is undeniable that making women to be empowered economically will be a great deed to give them a higher ranked statue and decent living in community.
Emma organization sets up a number of community centers in different location, including Erbil, Shekhan, Duhok, Sharya, Dawdia, Bersive, Qadya,and Esya camps, to support and provide services to those women who may be at a high risk of S/GBV, and it provides vocational trainings for them to increase their knowledge. It could be watched that the women are getting enriched and enhanced in skills like literacy, makeup, cooking, knitting, sewing, and computer…etc. While learning new skills they are acquiring a good awareness about the world around them through their participation in daily discussions that taking place in the community centers. However, women receive information about their rights and roles within society in a peaceful way. Emma aims to help women develop their professional capacities. Worth mentioning that this year so many women participated in the courses of making face masks to support their community, health, and educational sectors in the face of COVID19.
Emma organization pays more attention to the yazidi women specially those who survived ISIS captivity and went through unspeakable condition while their capture, as they have been damaged physically and psychological by the hands of armed group at the war time. Though, after their release Emma Organization always take a great action to help them to overcome their trauma by providing them programs related strengths as well as encouraging them to speak up for their right. The organization gives a raising awareness session on how they rebuild themselves and get rid of what they have faced at the time they spent in captivity. All that happens by Emma’s having good psychologist and psychiatrists within its community centers, in the purpose of bringing them hope for to feel that they are not alone in their difficult times and the centers are becoming the safest place to go in and to feel safe. in addition, Emma Organization offers a good service for Yazidi community by holding many useful meetings, seminars, and conferences with its leaders and religion men to address the problems that facing the survivors in general and the women who gave birth to the children during the ISIS crises in particularly.
In short, this year due to a new situation that covered the whole world like continuous country’s lock down all society had been affected specially women, during lock down women responsibilities has been increased because they hold a high load, women had two different responsibilities as a house wife and in the same time and same place like employer working from house through our project we tried to support them by give them awareness about corona virus and how to deal with new situation. Emma allocated groups and individual counselling for women and GBV cases. Organization’s psychological team tried to reduce their stress by give them more attentions and trying to be in contacts with survivors of GBV/S as much as they could, repeating their support for them and providing group counselling to discuss all issues. Also during country lock down DCVAW employer are worked part time and they didn’t take normal GBV cases they received only urgent cases.
Hawkari Community Center/ Erbil
Psychological Support Sessions
In the year of 2020, Hawkari community center in Erbil could be able to open a variety of vocational training, activities, seminars, and course for 323 women like English language, Arabic, computer, sewing, handcuff, and netting. At the end of every course a participation certificate would be handed over to the beneficiaries for women to be able to stand up for themselves through Emma courses.
It is a common thing to observe that women who are living in that neighborhood unable to complete their studies or do not get proper jobs or lack in skills, which lead to their deterioration financially, they are dependent on others or they are unable to support their families. By providing vocational training to the girls and women of that neighborhood, the center helped them a step further so that they could do things on their own and earn their bread. In this period, in the sponsorship of Medica Mondiale organization the center distributed hygiene kits to more than 100 an underprivileged family in host community and surrounded IDPs camps. That hygiene items are to prevent the spread of COVID19 in the most risk-able places in Kurdistan region. On the other hand, it opened a great number of sewing courses as local community members have been incredibly generous in making cloth face masks in the time of COVID19, the courses were taking place with the participants’ commitment to health procedures like keeping social distance from one another and participating a limited number of hand-made face masks volunteers. The center was taking critical steps to ensure the health safety and well-being of all those it serves. At the same time, it continually provided the highest-quality care to its staff, and the vulnerable individuals of the community during this unprecedented time. However, the cloth face masks would be distributed to women who are living inside and outside the camps specially those who could not afford buying face masks due to the bad economic status that they were going through.
With the vocational training, women can get economically empowered even when they do not have any proper job. They can start their small businesses, they can make and sell things from home to support their community during the times of crisis, they can get jobs in manufacturing units, etc.
Awareness and seminars
During offering psychological support session Emma organization were spreading awareness regarding women rights in the terms of law, psychology and social for 182. Such as Human right, breast-cancer, reproductive-health, and GBV. The most important outcome of the sessions is giving confidence to women in moving freely and making their own decisions. However, women in the region still face a number of challenges, including low rates of political participation, a lack of access to the job market, and high rates of gender-based violence, and
sexual harassment. During delivering an awareness one of the participants said that”I could be able just to study till sixth grade of primary school, due to my family culture I dropped out of school, now I am 18 and want to continue my study, l am participating in almost all Emma’s illiteracy courses to improve myself more, l am getting benefits from these courses a lot as l am interacting with many people and this helps me to feel good psychologically, and this is because of Emma”.
Celebrating One Billion Raising Campaign
14,2,2020, Emma Organization for Human Development launched the “One Billion Rising ” campaign in Erbil – Kurdistan region, and it is worth mentioning that it is the first Kurdish organization that participated in this important campaign for the women’s movement, as it aims to raise awareness regarding women’s right and collect a bunch of female voices against all forms of violence that was / is still committing towards a billions of women or girls worldwide. Emma intends to link women in Kurdistan to this international campaign.
As the organization making efforts to continually take females side to end violence against women, it also urges that it is the duty of all women and human activists who working in this phase to expand the understanding of women’s oppression and exploitation in the context of conflicts and war in this special day.
Weekly meetings at the time of COVID-19
Due to corona virus crises and the situation in KRG Emma Organization conducted meetings for all its staff inside and outside Erbil via Skype every week on Sundayb. The purpose of the meetings was about planning how to work from home in the on ground situation, to support each other, keep connected in the stressful time. The first Skype meeting conducted on 24th March 2020 at 11:00 at a local time.
At the beginning, it has been planned and start to work individually, reaching out the target group in the neighborhoods. Unfortunately, the plan has been changed when Kurdistan went to Lock down and tightened its ongoing precautionary after the regional Ministry of Health confirmed a big number of the new cases of corona virus. However, the Kurdistan Regional Government’s Ministry of Interior (police) said in a statement that “it has decided to penalize any drivers who take to the road in violation of the strict curfew”, though reaching out the beneficiaries being highly difficult.
Furthermore, Emma staff worked from home and quickly circulated information from reliable scientific sources on the virus and guidelines on best practices to prevent the outbreak of the COVID-19 through Viber group and translating it to local language (Arabic, Kurdish both dialectic) and distributing through FB and website to the population.
Finally, it has been decided to do Skype meeting every week (one time for all staff & one time for the centers and project managers). In addition, awareness about corona virus provided via phone for women and how to deal with their children in such a situation, this process being done by sharing phone numbers of psychologists and social workers in EMMA website and social media and offering psychological and social services via mobile for those women and girl that needed PSS support as well, all the staff worked in a regular basis from 9 am till 4 pm from home.
Relaxation exercise at the time of Corona virus
After easing some lock down’s measures by the government, the administration of Emma organization planned to work in head office and all its centers in both Erbil and Dohuk Governors part time, with each day starting work with some relaxation exercises to release the sense of stress that the staff gained as the result of unexpected time of corona virus.
Workshop on media’s impacts on the issue of gender equality and violence
On 21/9/2020 Emma Organization for Human Development with the support of Medica Mondiale held a workshop for a group of media from both Erbil and Dohuk governors under the supervision of Mr. Ari Rafiq the assistant of General Director of Combating Violence Against Women and Family in Erbil, in the purpose of shedding light on a rapport being prepared by Emma Organization and it was mainly about how the media supposed to deal with the cases of S/GBV’s survivors.
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Duhok Community Center
Case management
In this year (2020) Emma center at Duhok had recruited new volunteers because they started work in new areas, and they trained the new ones and gave a refresh to old one about GVB core concept, types of GBV, the different between gender and sex, gender equality, PFA psychological first aid, Pss, awareness session guidelines, and the characteristics of the facilitator.
And each month they conducted monthly meeting to discuss all the challenges that they are facing through their work while conducing session. The recruited volunteers were conducted pss, ss, awareness sessions and also doing outreach.
One case said that” because I am a divorced women no one take care of me and my children as well, even their father and it is about one year we did not eat rise in our home sometimes our neighbors brought to us their remaining food but after Corona situation we were fear to eat food outside our home because if me and my children affected by the corona we cannot buy
medicine so that is why we have to take care”.
Psychological Support Sessions
In this period Dohuk center provided 82 sessions to 131 women and girls in all seven areas each groups had seven sessions about the adolescent toolkit and women speak out sessions. All month the center provided the same sessions to different groups, but through these sessions and during that period of time the staff found out that girls need more awareness on special sessions like period session, because in all areas while providing that sessions girls were looking to each other and smiling and not participated, and also when the staff asking them to draw on the board the somatic variants they said that we know but we cannot draw them.
Also some of the participants said that “our mothers did not tell us about that and we felt afraid to ask them, and always we were in stress and in the first time we felt that it is something wrong happened to us”.
And therefor after Covid 19 pandemic girls needed these sessions because they used to not stay at home and it becomes long time they stayed. “If we are to fight discrimination and injustice against women and girls we have to start from home for if women don’t feel safe in her own house then she cannot be expected to feel safe anywhere” another participant said.
Sensitive outreach
In 2020 Emma volunteers had visited and talked to 4010 women, girls, boys, and men in Darkar, Dadwya, Rawangh, camps and Duhok, Akre, Bardarsh, Sharya non camps areas. They conducted outreach because the process used to help people help themselves as the people are guided to identify what they need and how to solve their problems. Care givers said that the initiative gives them a sense of pride and community.
These efforts are having an impact on the life of people. Through the outreach the volunteers could tell the people about the services and general information about the center and staff. From the outreach also the care givers discover the gaps and the issues that the people are facing and could helped them to refer them to other services.
During outreach they discovered that the majority of ISIS survivors are based in Rawangh camp and still there is a lack of services. people said to the care givers that” we need to participate in the pss and trainings that you are providing”.
Vocational training
During 2020, the community center could be able to provide 21 vocational training in 7 operational areas to 212 beneficiaries through 210 sessions. After the lockdown and the corona pandemic it changed the idea and open a trainings of sewing to make face masks. The trainers with their participants sew more than 5000 masks because during that situation the majority of people were in need of them as they were too expensive. During the situation of Corona, it could not conduct any other trainings because the staff have to keep the social distance, also women asked about makeup training and sewing they have to provide to them sewing because makeup was not safe to them in the last three months. It could be said that, there were a strong desire of women to participate in such a training for two reason, one because they wanted to learn how to make masks for their family and the other wanted to help people.
One participant from Duhok said that “I want to help the poor people and I am feeling better after making one masks and let me feel that I could help one person so that is why I want to make a big number of masks and distribute them on poor people”.
Sewing is not just a training it is also a therapy that a lot of women used to reach in order to heal and it is also make sense that when women have a mental health problem they want to participate and to make themselves far from the situation they live in.
Sharya community center
Psychological Support Sessions
Emma Organization center in Sharya has been able to provide 123 women psychological support session frequently for 12 times during 2020. The center provided women from the IDPs camps and community such as girls who have dropped-out of school, and illiterate women, the opportunity to learn new skills. The center was opened daily in the morning and free classes like literacy, handcraft, and sewing provided to any woman who wishes to develop these skills. This training provided women with an alternative source of income and additional income for their families. This ability to contribute and provide for themselves and their families is an important step in empowering them to take control of their lives. Moreover, it increasingly opened a sewing course to make a face masks, then they distributed them to the those who live in IDPs camps as well as the host community, specially who in need of them. In addition, it continued with providing its humanitarian services to the host community and IDPs families to uplift some duties that they have on their shoulders, because such a services were very much needed to response to that unprecedented pandemic.
Continually financial support for 14 survivors of ISIS
Emma Organization for Human Development in the support of Hivos at Sharya community center is to offer support and help to any women who need psychological, social , health, well-being, and low, it’s main job is to open courses inside the center at Sharya, and among these courses are sewing, make up, hand crafted, and music, and new courses according to their will , and psychological sessions according to the situations, and the health of the women, related to their daily life, and their health, for calming their inner environment. However, it helps 14 Yazidi girls from Shingal who survived ISIS at Sharya, Qadia, Essyan, and Khanik camp, besides offering leadership training 2 times for 12 of them. They are the ISIS survivors and returned back to their normal life to continue their study, it helping them every month economically, it means that they receive an amount of money to be able to spend it on their needs, along with some women who are mothers and they left without a husband and have to take care of their children, the staff at Sharya community center helped them to spend that money on their children at the time of doctors and buying food staffs and any other work. All these helps, teaching courses and psychological sessions being offered to them.
A session about reproductive health
On 13th July 2020 awareness session has been held for IDPs women about Reproductive health in Sharya community center , during the session all stages of pregnancy have been explained in details, like the first one there is a change in psychology and blood pressure, the second one the baby starts to move, and the third one is a very important stage as it is related to mother’s health, however what is required from the pregnant woman to do to feel good at that period of time and how to protect themselves from in-nutrition food and which kind of sport is good.
On the other hand, they talked about the main advantages and disadvantages between the natural and operational birth and how to deal with both processes of giving birth as well.
The reason behind conducting such a session is there are many women following the old customs and they are lack of information in this regard.
Distributing face masks
On 19/7/2020 Emma’s hand making face masks volunteers at Sharya’s community center finish up with preparing 500 masks. The masks have been distributed to the IDPs and host community members and another place such as health center at Sharya, municipality, taxi center, security center(asaish), stationeries, and shops, in order to reduce all methods of spreading that dangerous virus that recently has been swept all over the world. Part of their efforts were to provide support to the health of those who in need of them, as they believed that together they can come out stronger amidst all unfortunate situations.
Leadership and awareness on COVID19 training for Yazidi girls
On 8th of September 2020, Emma Organization for Human Development in Erbil organized a leadership training for nine young Yazidi girl’s survivors on how to spread awareness on COVID19 in their community. However, the training has begun with an activity of self-care, then the girls talk about the difficulties and challenge that they are facing due to living in the IDPs camps for a long time without knowing anything about their future. Moreover, Mrs. Vian Emma organization project manager explained to them the most effective ways of how one can protect herself and the peoples around her by following someone important steps. At the end of the training they thanked Emma organization for giving them such opportunity and making them away from the atmosphere that they are living in for a long time ago, most importantly letting them to speak out load freely.
Sheikhan community center
Psychological sessions Support
Emma Organization for Human Development in the support of Medica Mondiale an international organization, opened Sheikhan community center in the middle of the city in March of 2019, it provided various services to IDPs and host community including low, psychological and social services. Worth mentioning that at the very beginning time of COVID-19‘s spread in 2020 in Kurdistan a number of sewing courses has been opened for making cloth face masks, after preparing and finishing with a good number of face masks, they would be distributed to the families who were living in the camps as well as the families whose economic status not that good, the courses had been opened according to health instructions, at the same time the aim of such a sessions were to enhance women’s skills, however it started to offer its social and psychological services via phone calls by psychologist teams. During the convid19’s crisis the center provided basic needs and hygiene kits as to take part of preventing the outbreak of Corona virus to a number of families and IDPs who resident in Sheikhan. Moreover, after government’s easing with lockdown procedures the Emma staff opened courses for those who come to the center like illiteracy, computer, and English to empower women and let them to discover their power, the purpose behind opening such a courses were to build a woman and to make her forget what she suffered. The center could be able to offer PSS to the women and girls of the host community at Sheikhan district as well as the IDPs camps located in Sheikhan outskirt including Essyan, Mam Rashan, and Sheikhan. They continued their learning the whole year of 2020 except the period of lockdown. Moreover, it helped 326 women and girls to learn new skills through its courses. Those women who came to the center were from deferent background and religions such as; Yezidi, Muslims and Christians, Ethnic Kurds and Arabs. This year unlike the previous year, the participants only came from the neighborhood, they could not come from far away from the Sheikhan center due to the COVID19 outbreak. At the end, it could be said that it provided vocational training to poor and marginalized women. The goal is to empower young women to create a better life for themselves and their children. A key to this is to give them training that provides them with relevant skills that match the needs of the local labor market.
Training for educational staff
On 30/6/2020 Emma Organization opened a training for governmental sectors for two consecutive days on the GBV, Awareness, Early Detection, Conflict Prevention, Psychological First Aid, Family Meditation and Referral Paths.
Emma Organization coordinated with Ministry of Education to open this training for teachers and social workers. Furthermore, the aim of conducting such a training is to make governmental sectors to be well aware of all types of violence and how to control it.
Awareness and seminars
Emma Organization for Human Development could be able to deliver awareness regarding GBV/S, women rights and, how to protect yourself and family from corona virus, and current issue in the community for 2,567 women and girls both in real and online awareness session and seminar. However, these topics were discussed in three aspects; psychologically, legally and socially. The beneficiaries in these session were all from Shekhan, Essyan, Mam Rashan IDPs camps alone with the Nawa shelter in Duhok, they were 13 to 50 years old. For example, Psychological health, domestic violence, Women right, Violence against women, Early marriage, Anxiety, Psychiatric mood disorders, sexual violence, and Self-confidence, in order for women to be more resilient and to know their rights, as women has an enormous power inside herself and she can get to use in any situation. The women have ability to build a community, that is why it is so important for her to know how to calm herself? What is her right and the hidden strength within her? And how to show it? Most of the projects that are opening focus on women’s building.
Most of them stated that they had little information about women rights, and the knowledge regarding GVB/S, and the exact ways of keeping themselves well during any crisis.
In November 2020 Emma Organization organized an entertaining trip in Sheikhan park for its beneficiaries from Essyan camp to let them change their atmosphere, among about 15 women one of them said that “this is the first time l see such a beautiful nature and a view, as there were nothing like that in my hometown Shingal, not even after lSIS inversion to it, there were no opportunity to visit such a place and to relax myself before, l warm-heartedly thanks Emma for granting me this opportunity”.
Sida project
Emma Stood with other Women Organization against federation of Islamic Religious Scholars in Kurdistan
Emma Organization has offered its full support and solidarity with Buhhar Munzir the director and co-founder of PDO and the activists who working in the field of women rights. On 27/1/2020 and 6/2/2020 Emma with a number of organizations participated in demonstration in front of Erbil court, showed its solidarity concerning women right and dignity and chanted against those who trying to underestimate women’s rule in Kurdistan Region such as Mulla Mazhar and his followers.
It could be seen that, Emma Organization for Human Development continually works on advancing the reality of women and implement laws relating to women, women and men stood up together against opinions and baseless slanders been committed against the reputation of the women and civil society organizations working in the women right issues.
The Meeting of the High Committee
On 11/2/2020 Emma Organization for Human Development organized a meeting for the Advisory Committee that headed by Buhhar Ali, it took place in the head office of an organization from 11 AM till 3:00 PM, meanwhile it contained of eight other members from deferent fields and religion background such as health, women right, children, Politian, and education. Advisory Board would be suggested by high committee of the organization; after that they will be chosen by voting amongst the member of High Board.
In short, within the meeting the present members first introduced themselves then the topics of annual report and financial report have been discussed. Moreover, they tried to highlight on some important suggestion for the upcoming year and made their mind about the 2020 plan.
Roundtable meetings
Emma Organization for Human Development in the coordination with Unisef held a roundtable discussion regarding Developing a draft Action plan and Advocacy for children born out of rape during conflicts.
The discussion was running by a number of legal excerpts from verity parts of Iraq. Such as, Erbil, Bagdad, Nenawa, and Duhok. On the other hand, they were from different religion background. Meanwhile, all the participant brought all obstacles in the lives of the children born out of rape and their mothers after they released from ISIS captivity on the table of discussion.
In a nutshell, everyone presented its positive thoughts and efforts to deal with this matter and to make it ongoing fruitful debate in the future concerning the actions for children to reach all its rights and dignified childhood for further stages in life.
Developing action plan and advocate for support and services for children Born of sexual violence in Conflict and their survived mothers
Emma Organization for Human Development in the coordination of Unisef Organization held a two excessive Round-table discussion days (23-24/2/2020) about the current reality of the children of unknown parentage(father) and its mother and in the same time the suffering they are going through.
It is undeniable that before ISIS took over some Iraqi areas, there were cases of such a children of unknown parentage, but likely not as much as the time after the terrorist invasion into homelands of Iraqis minority religious group, such as Christian, Yazidi and Shabak.
ISIS committed heinous acts towards the missioned group like sexually enslaving their women and girls as a result too many children born out of that sexual violence. After releasing that places and rescuing women and children from ISIS captivity, the topic of registering these children become a problem for the law and society.
Nearly 138 important persons whose specializes were differ from one another and came from different religious and environmental background being participated such as police, security forces, legal experts, yazidi community leaders, and Media, the attendances has been divided into four groups, two for each day but different halls, legal expert, police and security forces for the first day, Media and Yazidi community leaders took part in the second day of a conference.
Furthermore, the activity aims to work on what it should be done now and in the future for the children born out of rape during conflicts and its mothers.
The celebration of international women day (8th of March)
8th of March marks as an international women’s day and it is a day of working together to stand up against all kinds of violence and discrimination against women and girls worldwide. However, Emma organization planned to organize some activities with other organizations working in women’s field in Erbil city. All activities have been canceled this year, due to the prevalence of Corona Virus and at the same time taking the health interests of people into consideration.
Instead, it has been decided to set an electronic campaign throughout social media and printed many awareness banners on women rights and how to stand against violence being committed towards women right. The poster being hanged on the streets and public area walls to reach high number of women and to effect the society more.
At the end, Emma organization shows it concreate solidarity with women at that day and confirms its continues fight to make sure every woman reaches its right within the community they live in.
Capacity building of young feminist in Kurdistan
At the very beginning of Corona virus prevalence and Government issuing a lockdown decision in the behalf of the everybody’s health, Emma Organization for Human Development created a Messenger and Skype group for young girls from Erbil, Duhok, and Halabja in order to link them together in such unexpected time.
An online meeting being organized many times for sharing new information, ideas, and thoughts to improve the women’s status as well as to give updates of COVID19’s situation in their governors.
After the lockdown, the Organization organized three trainings for them one in Duhok and the others in Erbil, for raising young girl’s capability and awareness on the basics of the feminism.
Dangek magazine
Every month after Corona virus reached Kurdistan Region, Emma Organization for Human Development released a series number of Dangek magazine (a voice) for a fair, peaceful and healthy society.
Most of its numbers were about the Corona Virus pandemic (Covid 19) and its impact on women, the family and the form of life in Kurdistan, and other topics…….
Commemoration of Yazidi genocide
Instate of conducting a real activity for celebrating the sixth anniversary of Yazidi genocide, Emma Organization for Human Development prepared a video which covered all Yazidi sufferings during the past six years and posted it on its social media on 3/8/2020.
Meeting with women organizations
Emma Organization for Human Development in the support of NPA (Norwegian People Aid) organized series meetings for women organizations in Kurdistan in Erbil,Sulaymanyah, Halabja, and Duhok to create a framework for joint work and a lobby for Kurdistan women at regional level.
During the meeting they talked about the ways of working together and its mechanisms, and visions. Furthermore, all those who attended the meetings presented their opinion about the proposal and what to do further. Most importantly, the participants argue that when women support narratives leave men’s superiority untouched, involving both male who are taking the gender equality side for the next meeting will make a big change the future of developing the feminize movement in Kurdistan Region.
A workshop to evaluate a study regarding gender issue and hinders for not achieving gender equality in the Ministry’s field of work
On 7th of September 2020, a meeting for Gender Unit in Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs in the cooperation with Emma Organization for Human Development and with support of NPA (Norwegian Peoples Aid) has been held. The purpose of this is to present the results of an evaluation study including its laws and regulations as well as the gaps and obstacles that hinders achieving gender equality in the fields of Ministry.
Emma celebrited its seventh anniversary
Emma Organization for Human Development on 28th of October organized a party for all its staff in Erbil/Shaqlawa, on the occasion of its founding day, and seven years of full hard work.
At the beginning of the party all the staff gathered together to break a cake and they wished to carry on their humanitarian work to reach more and more gender equality for all.
After breaking a cake, a useful presentation has been presented on feminism and the history of the organization and its vision and mission. Then after, many questions have been asked about the core meaning of feminism.
During the opening discussion about feminism Mrs. Ali shared the story of many strong women who fought for women right from long ago, and she said that “we owe them the freedom that we us a woman living in today, it’s their fruit”, “we are deeply appreciating their role when they kept to fought for every woman in such a war times” she added.
At the end, everybody given a chance to produce their views on feminism and what does the feminism mean to them, and how does many communities view this team.
Emma offered its solidarity to Solina Eve
In 2018 a Kurdish young girl named Solina in Duhok governor after her graduation from college, she applied for an organization called “ Warvin for Women Development” runned by a man , but unfortunately after getting a job at that organization she faced sexual harassment by the owner of the organization, luckily Solina could be able to defend herself. However, a judgment was issued to Solina’s arrest and imprisonment for a period of six months because the man was from a wealthy and well-known family in Duhok.
In this regard, Mrs, Bahar Ali the director of Emma Organization for Human Development the following day interviewed with Waar TV to support Solina’s case. On the other hand, Emma Organization staff at Duhok community center stood up in front of Duhok cort to support Solina Eve in the day of her arrestment.
The Total number of beneficiaries Emma supported are the following:
Sharya Center Erbil Center Shekhan Center Duhok Center Sida Project
243 4,933 2,632 2,282
Number of trainings: (55) such as: literacy, handcraft, leadership, sewing, computer, crochet, music, self and skin care.
Legal assistance 275
Peer support group 2
Musical training 2 times for 9 girls
Other activities:
Celebrating International women day
One Billion Raising campaign
16 Days of Activism Campaign
Emma Anniversary Day