UNAMI Head attends in dialogue with Women Advisory Group members for 2019 activities

The interactive dialogue followed a three-day skills-building workshop that brought together the WAG members with the political, electoral and communication components of the Mission.

The Special Representative for Iraq of the United Nations Secretary-General and Head of UNAMI, Ms Jeanine Hennis-Plasschaert, participated today in a dialogue with the members of the Women Advisory Group (WAG) to discuss the priorities, planning and activities of the group for 2019. The SRSG called on the WAG to be bold, persistent and patient in its fight for gender equality, noting that "Iraqi women must not wait for men to include them in political and decision-making processes and appoint them to leadership positions". Rather, they must mobilize popular support through outreach, engagement and the use of social media, as well as exert political pressure at the highest political levels. The SRSG reiterated her personal commitment to support the WAG's priorities with the strong support of her two deputies and UNAMI.

The interactive dialogue followed a three-day skills-building workshop that brought together the WAG members with the political, electoral and communication components of the Mission. The sessions were facilitated by a member of the Standby Team of Senior Mediation Advisers, with support from the Department of Political and Peacebuilding Affairs (DPPA) and UNAMI.

During the discussions, WAG members highlighted their concerns regarding the absence of women in the Cabinet and decision-making and leadership roles while emphasizing the urgency for legislative reforms to widen the space for women in political processes. They consolidated their views on a draft annual work plan for 2019-2020 which included priorities to advance the Women, Peace and Security file.

The WAG, inaugurated with the support of UNAMI in January 2019, is a political inclusion mechanism which aims to ensure that the voices, concerns, expertise and experiences of Iraqi women are included in political processes, based on the principles of peaceful co-existence, respect for diversity and non-discrimination.

(With Inputs from UNAMI Press Release)