LOCAL NGO LAUNCHING NEW WOMEN'S CENTER IN MOSUL

UNCLAS MOSUL 000015

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PREL PGOV PHUM IZ ECON ELAB SCUL SOCI PINT
SUBJECT: LOCAL NGO LAUNCHING NEW WOMEN'S CENTER IN MOSUL

REF: 2005 MOSUL 148

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SUMMARY
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1. (SBU) In an effort to address concerns of unemployment, job
training, and community counseling for Iraqi women, members of
the Assembly of Ninevah NGOs, a local NGO umbrella organization,
have created a second women's center for western Mosul. The
effort expands on the already existing Iraq Women's Center,
located on the eastern side of the Tigris River, by dividing the
city to better meet the needs of the community. The
organization is searching for a permanent headquarters location
and is requesting donor assistance for the expansion. End
Summary.


2. (SBU) PRT Poloff met with Assembly of Nineveh NGOs director
Mohammed Tahir, Iraqi Women Institute (IWI) director Rajaa
Zeedan Radhe Al-Ukabee, and IWI members Ibrahim Mohammed Ibrahim
Hussein, Wafa Ahman Ismael, Kareema Mohammed Shanawee, and Sara
Mohammed Ibrahim Hussein, in Mosul on February 9.

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MORE WOMEN'S CENTERS TO HELP THE COMMUNITY
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3. (SBU) Assembly of Ninevah NGOs director Tahir (who is also
the deputy director of the Independent Electoral Commission of
Iraq "IECI" branch office in Mosul) said women are the "pillar
of strength in Iraqi society." He said he believes one center
is "not enough" to address the concerns of women in the city.
Tahir, with center director Al-Ukabee, said the new center would
work "hand-in-hand" with Anan Ibrahim Al-Qado's Iraq Women's
Center (formally directed by Nafia'a Nafia'a who was
assassinated in October 2005) (reftel). The idea, according to
Tahir and Al-Ukabee, is to have two centers that can focus
completely on opposite sides of the city, but work collectively
to address the community.


4. (SBU) The new center launched this year, called the Iraqi
Women Institute (IWI),already has eight board members with 243
registered members. By contrast, Iraq Women's Center (IWC) has
235 registered members. Tahir said both organizations are
"gaining in membership" and are struggling for resources to meet
the demands of the community. IWI is currently operating out of
a four-bedroom home on the western side of Mosul, using two of
the bedrooms for classrooms and daycare and the other two for
housing volunteers. Al-Ukabee would like to expand the center
to a new and larger headquarters in the west. She has dreams of
creating a computer learning center and classrooms that could
teach trade classes, such as sewing, and business and managerial
skills. She said she believes there are "too many young women"
in Mosul who "have no direction" due to high unemployment. In
addition to the services mentioned above, IWI conducts
pre-marriage counseling for young couples, and after-marriage
sessions for recently divorced women. Tahir, who oversees more
than 200 non-government organizations, said IWI and IWC are
fully compliant and registered with the central government in
Baghdad.

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REQUEST FOR DONOR ASSISTANCE AND COMMENT
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5. (SBU) Al Ukabee is looking for donor assistance to help
address the organization's expansion, since she claimed the
center is completely reliant on dues payments by members and
contributions. Tahir said the goal is to create many more
women's centers in and outside of Mosul to meet the needs of
Ninewa's female population. The original center, IWC, has been
very successful since liberation, and played a significant role
during the national election by conducting three outreach
conferences for women. The conferences, funded by Embassy
Baghdad, focused on women's role in democracy, voting, and
election monitoring. Observing the positive role IWC has played
over the past few years, we can conclude that the expansion of
more community organizations seems a positive step forward
towards empowering women in Iraqi society.

MUNTER