'Women in Iraq need work'

Baghdad-born seamstress empowers women in Mosul with free sewing workshops

MOSUL – Sana Ismail, known as “Warda,” a Baghdad-born seamstress with over two decades of experience, is conducting a large free sewing training program for young women in Mosul. Her training sessions are offered both online and in person at her center in the Hayy al-Samah area of central Mosul.

Sana, 45, began sewing at the age of 14 in Baghdad and moved to Erbil in 2014, where she established a sewing center that still operates today, in addition to her new branch in Mosul. “The girls in Kurdistan were more committed to attending classes in person,” Sana said. “While the trainees in Mosul prefer to follow the courses online.”

“I started sewing when I was 14 years old in Baghdad. Then, I moved to Erbil 10 years ago, and since then, I have been offering both practical and theoretical lessons, some of them for free,” she told 964media.

A year ago, she began broadcasting online lessons on social media platforms. Sana now teaches over 400 girls from various regions, including Nineveh, other Iraqi provinces, and countries like Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Morocco, and Tunisia. In addition to online interactions, she runs in-person workshops at her Mosul center, offering pre-recorded educational videos to prepare students before attending the practical sessions.

“I am currently running a workshop for 10 girls in person at the center,” she said. “We also have another free workshop starting on Oct. 20, open for registration until then. It will last for a month, but any girl who misses a day will be replaced by another.”

Sana noted that more girls in Erbil attend classes in person compared to Mosul, where online learning is more popular. Her decision to offer free courses stemmed from observing women and girls who wanted to work but lacked the capital or means to pay for training.

Many of her students are widows, divorcees, or married women who want to support their families. “Although this impacts my income, I cannot refuse anyone who needs to learn,” she added.

After completing the training, many participants purchase sewing machines and start their own businesses.

Sana frequently receives requests from factories seeking her trainees and helps the girls find employment across Iraq. According to her, “An enthusiastic learner is often more creative than someone learning out of necessity.”

Her center teaches sewing for various garments, including traditional dresses, pants, jackets, Indian attire, abayas, and wedding dresses. She aims to establish her name as a well-known brand across Iraq. “Women in Iraq need work now more than ever, and I want every woman to have her own profession,” she said.

Challenges persist for women’s employment in Iraq. In March, the International Labour Organization revealed that Iraqi women have the lowest labor force participation rate globally. ILO Iraq coordinator Maha Kattaa stated that only 10.6% of the country’s 13 million working-age women are either employed or looking for work, with less than one million actually working, mostly in public sector teaching and service positions.

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