Anbar, Iraq; April 10, 2025 — As part of its ongoing efforts to support women’s protection and empowerment in Iraq, the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), alongside a delegation from the German Federal Foreign Office, visited the Women’s Protection Center in Anbar. The visit aimed to follow up on the center’s progress and highlight continued international support for services dedicated to vulnerable women and girls.

The delegation included Ms. Anka Feldhusen, Director for Crisis Prevention and Stabilisation in the German Federal Foreign Office, whose presence underscores Germany’s long-standing support for women’s rights and stabilization efforts in Iraq.

“Women are half of every society, and they are extremely important and indispensable for social cohesion, but also for issues of security. Germany has been supporting projects where we are trying to empower women in societies all over the world, not only in Iraq, but we are very proud that we could support a few projects here where women and the Iraqi society will benefit directly.”

UNFPA, in partnership with the Government of Iraq, local authorities, and international donors, particularly the Government of Germany and the Government of France, has been working to expand access to protection, psychosocial support, and legal aid for survivors of violence across the country. UNFPA currently supports a network of women’s protection centers in several governorates, including Anbar, Kirkuk, Ninewa, Diwanya and Baghdad, serving thousands of women and girls.

“Our visit today reaffirms our shared commitment with the German government to ensure that women in Iraq have access to safe spaces, quality services, and opportunities for empowerment,” said Ms. Hind Jalal, UNFPA Representative in Iraq. “We are also advocating for the adoption of a national legal framework to ensure the sustainability of these services, and we count on local authorities to support this vision.”

UNFPA expressed gratitude to the local authorities in Anbar for providing the land and for their strong partnership. The organization remains committed to mobilizing additional resources and building the capacity of center staff to ensure the highest standards of service delivery.

For more information and for interviews: 

Sahar Alsaffouri

Communications and Partnerships Analyst 

Tell: 07702711274

Email: alsaffouri@unfpa.org