11 October 2018

Strengthening access to protection, participation and services for women refugees, Internally Displaced People (IDPs) and women in the host communities in Lebanon, Iraq and Jordan.

Launched in September 1st 2018, EuroMed Feminist Initiative has started implementing a 2 years´ multi-country project “Strengthening access to protection, participation and services for women refugees, IDPs and host communities” . This project is funded by the EU Regional Trust Fund in Response to the Syrian Crisis, the EU MADAD Fund. The overall objective is to improve the livelihood, agency and legal and social protection for Syrian women refugees, IDPs as well as  for women in the host communities in Lebanon, Iraq/Kurdistan Region – Iraq (KR-I) and in Jordan. 

The added value of the project lies in addressing the immediate needs of the most vulnerable women and bringing them to policy level: as the need of women and girls victims of sexual and gender based violence to have access to safe spaces, psychosocial support, information about their rights, as well as legal consultation and advice; the need to have access to decent jobs, to be able to take lead of own lives. Beyond the emergency response, a  set of policy actions and awareness raising campaigns will support the achievements in the field of gender equality on both local and national level.

In this regards the Nobel Peace Prize’s recognition of Ms. Nadia Murad, a young Yazidi woman sold to sexual slavery,  who is now involved in supporting survivors and long-term search for justice, and Dr Denis Mukwege, who dedicates his life to helping brutalized women, is a strong support to the approach of our project.
 

Long term development in the three countries  is supported through enhancing the engendering of policies and strategies in general, and on the crisis response in particular, by linking them. The project pioneers in Lebanon a comprehensive service provision to victims and survivors of violence in 12 centers of the Ministry of Social Affairs and establishing a National Gender Observatory hosted by the Office of Minister of Women´s Affairs. In Iraq, the project supports the implementation of National Action Plan for UNSCR 1325  (NAP 1325) and the development of the second NAP. In Jordan, the action contributes to  improving women’s employment and career development. Comprehensive approach helps to bridging the gap between international women’s rights mechanisms and the realities of women in the local communities.
 

To address the multi-layered repercussions of the protracted refugee crises on women and girls, EuroMed Feminist Initiative (EFI) has built  in Lebanon, Iraq KR-I and in Jordan consortia with credible and experienced national and international organizations.

In Lebanon EFI is partnering with Care International Lebanon (care.org/country/lebanon), Legal Action Worldwide (LAW) (legalactionworldwide.org) and Lebanese Women Democratic Gathering (RDFL) (rdflwomen.org).
In Iraq with Baghdad Women’s Association (BWA) (bwa-iraq.org) and Women Empowerment Organizations (WEO)(weoiraq.org(.
In Jordan with Business Development Centre (BDC) (bdc.org.jo) and Tamkeen (tamkeen-jo.org).

A range of national policy makers and stakeholders as well as the EU Delegations in the three countries are involved to support and provide strategic advice on the implementation as a part of the program Regional Steering Committee.
This project strongly supports and contributes to the ongoing efforts of civil society and governments alike to support both women refugees and vulnerable women in the host communities to overcome the challenges of this crisis.

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EuroMed Feminist Initiative is a policy network that encompasses women’s rights organizations from the two shores of the Mediterranean. It provides expertise in the area of gender equality and women’s rights as inseparable from democracy building and citizenship, advocates for political solutions to all conflicts, and for the right of peoples to self-determination.