FYF, UNITAD Open International Women’s Day Event in Baghdad
Baghdad, Iraq
FYF partnered with the UN Investigative Mechanism on Daesh crimes, UNITAD, to mark International Women’s Day this year with an event at the UN compound in Baghdad. FYF’s crafts and enterprise initiative provides training and skills to Yezidi women artisans so they can learn business skills and sell their items, thereby supporting their families and improving their standing as economic actors in society.
UNITAD arranged for FYF Country Director, Hewan Omer, and her team to bring more than 100 hand-crafted artisanal items to Baghdad. UN Mission in Iraq chief, Jeanine Hennis Plasschaert, joined head of UNITAD, Christian Ritscher, as they opened the event. From 7-8 March, UN staff members purchased more than $5,000 in crafted items, including stuffed animals and woven carpets and rugs. At the Enterprise & Training Center, the Yezidi artisans collect all proceeds from the items they create, aside from operational costs necessary to maintain the facility.
The initiative promotes women’s economic empowerment and skill development. After the suffering and misery that the Yezidi community experienced during and in the aftermath of the Yezidi Genocide, this is a pilot project to advance sustainability and economic recovery. More information about ETC crafts are available here: Free Yezidi Crafts & Enterprise.
Video from the initiative
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