Nasiriyah women receive free computer training to boost job prospects

NASIRIYAH — Twenty-five women from Nasiriyah, Dhi Qar province, are receiving free computer training at Al-Muntada Al-Nisawi, a local women-focused organization. The two-week course, which covers essential skills Microsoft Office suite apps like Word and Excel, aims to empower recent graduates and help them secure employment. Participants will receive a certificate of participation upon completion.

The demand for the workshops has been overwhelming, with spots filling up quickly after announcements are posted, according to one of the volunteer trainers. She stressed that proficiency in Word and Excel is vital for many job sectors.

“The demand for these courses is very strong, and spots are filled immediately once the advertisement is posted,” said Rusul Zain al-Abideen, a computer trainer. She explained that the training helps graduates enhance their skills and improve their chances of finding employment in both public and private sectors.

Word and Excel are widely used across industries, with Word essential for roles involving communication, documentation, and presentation, while Excel is crucial for data organization, calculations, and analysis, especially in fields like finance, accounting, and project management. Many administrative, clerical, and technical roles require proficiency in these tools.

Each course accommodates between 20 and 25 women, with training sessions exclusively for female participants.

Al-Abideen noted that the certificates issued by Al-Muntada Al-Nisawi are valuable résumé additions, improving participants’ job prospects. “We continue to collaborate with various parties to help the graduates secure job opportunities. Many participants have already found employment in private institutions,” she said.

However, challenges remain for women’s employment in Iraq. In March, the International Labour Organization reported that Iraqi women have the lowest labor force participation rate in the world. According to ILO Iraq coordinator Maha Kattaa, just 10.6% of Iraq’s 13 million working-age women are employed or seeking work, with fewer than one million actually employed, primarily in public sector teaching and service roles.