Empowering Women with Disabilities
Voices of Change: Year One Success Stories
In Iraq, where years of conflict and challenging environmental conditions have left a lasting impact, disability is a reality for a significant portion of the population. WHO estimates that approximately 4 to 6 million Iraqis, or between 10 percent and 15 percent of the population, may face daily challenges due to physical, sensory, intellectual, or mental health disabilities. Despite these challenges, inspiring stories of resilience and success are emerging that show individuals and communities breaking down barriers and fostering a more inclusive Iraq for all.
Local partners (LPs) of the USAID-funded Tafa’aol civil society activity, People Aid Organization (PAO) and al-Tadhamun, organized cascading training and multi-stakeholder dialogue (MSD) about community engagement in civic initiatives. The MSD brought together a diverse group of participants, including representatives from local civil society and informal community groups, that included two inspiring women with disabilities: Nagham Kamel from al-Muthanna Province and Zahra Abdulhameed from Anbar Province. These women overcame discrimination because of their disability.
Nagham's Story of Resilience: A Visionary's Journey
Nagham Kamel, a blind woman, defied adversity to become a dedicated human development trainer for the visually impaired. Despite losing her sight, Nagham's passion for disability rights motivated her to be an activist in this field.
The MSD organized by PAO exceeded Nagham's expectations. The event's rich content and structure provided invaluable insights, particularly the diverse perspectives shared by other participants on community priorities. As Nagham explained,
"The input from other members gave me valuable information based on their experiences."
Her journey with the project deepened as she participated in a design sprint (DS), collaborating with other civil society organizations (CSOs) to develop actionable, community-driven solutions tailored to local needs. The facilitators’ thoughtful approach, accommodating her visual impairment by recording sessions, underscored Tafa’aol’s commitment to inclusivity.
Nagham's passion for environmental issues led her to join Tafa’aol's Muthanna Green Network. Alongside ten fellow activists and CSOs, she worked tirelessly to draft a proposal addressing pressing environmental challenges, designing awareness sessions, and highlighting the connection between climate change and tourism in the province. Tafa’aol will allocate a small localization grant to fund Nagham and the Muthanna Green Network.
Beyond participation in the Green Network, Nagham is determined to share her newfound knowledge and skills with her trainees, inspiring them to become active agents of change within their communities.
"I will take all the new materials and information I gained during the training and share them with my organization. I also appreciate how the facilitators were flexible and ensured I could participate fully," she shared.
Defying Odds, Inspiring Change: Zahra's Journey
Zahra Abdulhameed, a survivor of the 1980 Iran-Iraq War, lost one of her legs in a bombing at the tender age of eight. Despite societal stigma, having no one to advocate for her, and limited educational opportunities, Zahra’s resilience and determination fueled her passion to become an advocate for the rights of people with disabilities.
Zahra participated in the Tafa’aol community engagement training organized by al-Tadhamun. She appreciated the accessibility provided to ensure her comfort and full participation. During the cascade training, Zahra learned about constructive civic action methods such as MSDs, cluster networks, and design sprints to further strengthen her role in the society.
The training tackled examples of pressing community issues and used new methods to solve them, which I found very effective,” she noted.
Zahra’s participation highlighted the importance of creating inclusive spaces where diverse voices, including those of women with disabilities, are heard and empowered to lead community initiatives. Equipped with new tools and strategies, Zahra returned to her organization, ready to further the impact of the training. Reflecting on her expanding role, Zahra shared,
When I was invited by the organization to join the Youth Forum, I saw a chance to broaden my influence and unite with other activists. Together, we’re amplifying our voices on the issues that affect us most.”
Currently, Zahra is a member of the Environmental Action Network in Anbar, which is connected to 15 CSOs planning to raise awareness of eco-friendly practices through zero-waste festivals and other activities. Tafa’aol will allocate a small localization grant to fund Zahra and the network.
A Commitment to Inclusive Community Engagement
Nagham and Zahra's stories highlight Tafa’aol's commitment to recognizing women with disabilities as active contributors to community-led initiatives, not merely as statistics. They also reflect the effectiveness of the capacity-building support provided to LPs over the past year, which integrated Gender Equity and Social Inclusion into the program's design and implementation. Nagham and Zahra’s participation in the MSD and cascading community engagement training exemplifies how inclusive practices, such as flexible facilitation, enhanced accessibility, and problem-solving, can empower people with disabilities to engage and make an impact. By addressing factors that marginalize certain groups, Tafa’aol amplifies their voices, enabling them to contribute meaningfully to their communities.
About this story
This story was written by Counterpart International through the USAID-funded ICSA/ Tafa'aol activity.