50-year-old Rafla is one of 35 members of a local women’s group taking the lead in raising awareness about the coronavirus in Iraq’s Salah al-Din governorate.

Formed by UNDP Iraq with support from the Government of Denmark, members of the Salah al-Din Women’s Peace Group are setting up first aid clinics, producing and distributing Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), developing and distributing informational fliers and collecting and providing essential food, clothing, and sanitary items to people who need them most.

Rafla and her team also work with Local Peace Committees to distribute food baskets, clothes and sterilization equipment in Samarra, Balad, Tikrit, Tuz Khurmato and Sharqat, and in Internally Displaced Persons camps in Shahama and Dayum. The group also sews and distributes masks to police officers and other community members at a higher risk of contracting the virus.

What is your career background?

I am a primary school teacher, the head of the Kernel of Family Organization, and a member of the Salah al-Din Women’s Peace Group.  

[Kernel of Family Organization is an NGO founded by Rafla that aims to enhance the capacity for Iraqi families to influence and contribute to civil society.]

Why are you undertaking this work to mitigate the effects of COVID-19?

Our work is really important for a number of reasons. Our aim is to help vulnerable communities to deal with the pandemic, especially after the curfew was imposed and people lost their sources of income. By adopting these initiatives, we are also working hard to break down societal stereotypes about the roles of women doing such work. We want the community to know what Salah al-Din Women's Peace Group can achieve, and the important role we play in promoting peace in the governorate.

How do you feel about protecting your community?

I feel very proud to represent Salah al-Din women in general as well as the Salah al-Din Women’s Peace Group, and proud to be helping the community I belong to that has suffered immensely, from so much war and conflict.

How has being part of the Women’s Peace Group affected your life?

The lesson we’ve learnt is the importance of teamwork, especially in the Salah al-Din Women’s Peace Group, which represents all the components, sects and ethnicities of the province. If society gives us the necessary conditions, means, and real opportunity, then we can all share the responsibility and burdens to create a harmonious, robust community that lives peacefully forever.

How does your family feel about the work you are undertaking currently?

My family and all my relatives feel happy and proud of me and always encourage me to continue supporting my community.

What advice would you give to Iraqi women who would like to help their communities during this time?

My advice to every woman who has the capability is to serve her community first, and then worry about your own concerns second. And also, to be a role model and motivate all women to get involved.

About UNDP Iraq’s Women Peace Committees

In 2018, UNDP Iraq’s Integrated Reconciliation Programme, with generous funding from the Government of Denmark, and in partnership with the Community Coexistence & Peace Committee in Iraq, established and trained eight Women’s Peace Groups in Salah al-Din, Kirkuk, Sinjar, Talefer, Anbar, Dyala, Ninewa and the Ninewa Plains to advocate for social cohesion and peaceful coexistence in their communities. The Women’s Peace Groups support and partner with the Local Peace Committees, which are also part of the programme, and implement different community initiatives.