USAID/Tatweer Training Making a Real Difference to Save Women's Lives
Mrs. Jwan al Barazanchi launched a breast cancer awareness campaign using her new skills
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The USAID-funded Tatweer program is helping Iraqi women unlock their potential and in many cases apply their new skills to a range of issues specifi-cally affecting women. Through July 2009, USAID/Tatweer has trained over 80,000 Iraqis, 29,000 of whom have been women. Follow-up meetings and interviews indicate these women are now applying strategic planning skills to innovative uses, including a breast cancer awareness campaign.
Mrs. Jawan al Barazanchi, a Project Manager at the Ministry of State for Women Affairs, who participated in a strategic planning course in December 2007, is an outstanding example of someone who has benefitted from the USAID/Tatweer program.
After learning that seventy-nine percent of Iraqi women do not give themselves regular breast examinations, Mrs. al Barazanchi developed the idea of launching an awareness campaign to focus on prevention through self-examination. She used the planning strategies she learned in the course.
With the help of USAID/Tatweer advisors, Mrs. al Barazanchi developed a strategic plan for her campaign. She then submitted her proposal to the Council of Ministers and received a $50,000 grant. She began implementing the program in October 2008, and has since received an additional $50,000 grant for 2009.
"After taking the Tatweer strategic planning course, I had the ability and con-fidence to effectively outline and write a strategic plan for my vision," Mrs. al Barazanchi said.
"After taking the Tatweer strategic planning course, I had the ability and confidence to plan my vision"
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Mrs. al Barazanchi's campaign has managed to hold 165 awareness symposiums on "Early Breast Cancer Self-Examination" in 15 provinces around the country. With the help of local NGOs, approximately fifty women participants are instructed by a female physician in each symposium, creating a comfort-able environment for the exchange of information.
The campaign has distributed almost 90,000 brochures throughout Iraq. Her next project is to improve the campaign's website and to reach an even wider audience with this important message.
Since 2003, USAID has partnered with Iraq in more than $6.4 billion of programs; all designed to stabilize communities; foster economic and agricultural growth; and build the capacity of the national, local, and provincial governments to respond to the needs of the Iraqi people.
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