New skills spur women to entrepreneurship in Nineveh Plains

NINEVEH – Thirty-five women and girls from the Nineveh Plains have launched their own businesses after completing an intensive training program in cooking, recycling, glass painting, candle making, and business management.

Organized by the Peace and Freedom Organization in Hamdaniya (also known as Bakhdida), the program specifically targeted women who had been unable to complete their education. Participants unveiled their first products during an event at Hamdaniya University attended by local officials.

Dilbreen Ibrahim, a participant from the Bashiqa subdistrict, told 964media, “We joined the event after a three-day training program that included courses in cooking, preparing dishes like pastries and stuffed grape leaves, as well as fitness exercises.” She added that she hopes for more training opportunities and job prospects for women. “I couldn’t finish my studies due to displacement and difficult living conditions, but I started a small business selling homemade food through a Facebook page,” she said.

Ibrahim noted that the event provided a valuable opportunity to market her business and address the challenges posed by the limited job opportunities available to women.

Another participant, Roz Ra’afat, took part in three workshops. The first focused on entrepreneurship, teaching attendees how to start a business and identify marketable products; the second introduced the basics of glass painting; and the third explored recycling, demonstrating how unused materials can be transformed into artistic, financially beneficial works. “This experience inspired me to launch my own online business to sell my paintings and create a source of income to support myself and my family,” she said.

Sakina Mohammed Ali, an advisor to the Nineveh Provincial Council, described the event as a significant achievement for local women. “Unemployment is one of the biggest challenges facing women, especially after graduation, so initiatives like this offer them a chance to work and be creative,” she said.