Founded in 2003, WRO is a non-profit, non-government and independent organization dedicated to working towards the protection and advancement of all members of societies across Iraq and the Kurdistan Region of Iraq (KRI). As one of the largest NNGOs in Iraq, WRO supports the needs of Syrian refugee, Iraqi IDP, and host community women, men, and children in prevention and response to sexual/gender-based violence (SGBV) and increasing their access to quality economic, protection, food, health, education, shelter and legal services. WRO has become a local and regional expert in SGBV prevention and response, economic empowerment, and integrated programming.
WRO has over a sixteen year history of collaborative work at the national, regional and international level partnering with UN agencies, international organizations and governmental bodies such as UNHCR, UNICEF, UNDEF, UNIDO, UNOPS, UNFPA, IRC, the Global Fund, WVI, IFA, Global Medic, German Government, ASODH, UN Women, Japan Government, DRC, NDI, LWF, IRI, , Global Affairs Canada, US Embassy regional reconstruction and Provincial teams and the Iraqi Civil Society Program Organization.
WRO has delivered over 60 humanitarian and development projects focused on advocacy, Stabilization and Reconciliation, Peace building, SGBV prevention and response, psychological MHPSS and physical health, non-formal education, capacity building, protection, wash, legal, advocacy, livelihoods, political and economic participation, voter and democratic awareness, and reconstruction. Furthermore, WRO is devoted to international commitments including contribution to Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and UNSCR 1325 on women, peace and security.
As a national and regional expert in Protection and SGBV, WROs efforts have shed light locally and internationally through awareness raising and advocacy on many important issues such as mainstreaming gender-based violence GBV across all sectors, sexual violence in conflict SVC, and other issued related to marginalized groups rights in Iraq through initiatives that directly impact tens of thousands of families each year including though provision of lifesaving support and developmental services that help to heal from psychological distress, rediscover hope, and retain dignity in an effort to support individuals and families in creating and determining their own futures.
WRO is actively involved member of the GBVIMS Taskforce, and members of the MHPSS, protection, GBV, child protection, education, health, livelihoods and social cohesion clusters, sub-clusters, and working groups. Furthermore, WRO has previously had the honor to act as the Chair on the Executive Board of the NGO Coordination Committee of Iraq (NCCI), Co-Chair of the Iraq Adolescent Girls Taskforce, and observer member of the Iraq Humanitarian Pool Fund (IHPF) and the Iraq Humanitarian Country Team (HCT). In addition, WRO has been a part of and is an immense advocate of the UN Security Council Resolution 1325 on women, peace, and security in Iraq.