Kathleen Kuehnast
Journal of International Peace Operations
volume 7, Number 4 – January-February 2012
Murals being painted to raise awareness of the issue of violence against women.
Filling a critical void for the future of Iraq
As U.S. troops withdraw from Iraq and the U.S. role transitions from military-led to civilian-led engagement, a number of questions linger about Iraq’s governance, stability and security. But of critical importance is how the transition will affect the status of women and vulnerable groups, and how civil society will support the transition.
Over the last nine years, the U.S. Institute of Peace (USIP) has been one of the prime supporters of Iraqi civil society, especially in terms of capacity building and technical assistance provided to women leaders and organizations that work on gender-equity and peacebuilding in Iraq. The Institute’s Iraq Priority Grant Program has worked since 2004 to create indigenous institutions that contribute to preventing conflict as well as other programs that offer training in problem-solving and conflict resolution.
