The Women’s Studies Center at the University of Baghdad held a scientific symposium titled:
“Women Leaders as Effective Agents for Building Bridges of Understanding and Peaceful Coexistence in Local Communities,” under the slogan: “Women as a Pillar for Building Community Peace,” in support of the Sustainable Development Goals and the National Action Plan for Women, Peace, and Security 2025. The event took place on Wednesday, May 28, 2025.
The symposium commenced with an opening address by Dr. Athraa Ismail Zaidan, Director of the Center, who emphasized the importance of women’s empowerment and the strengthening of their leadership roles. She presented the keynote paper titled: “Women and the Prospects and Challenges of Promoting Peace.”
The symposium featured contributions from a number of specialized female researchers, who presented papers addressing women’s roles in peacebuilding and community development, including:
• Dr. Wijdan Fareeq Enad, “The Impact of Women on the Advancement of Iraqi Society: A Comparison Between the Past and Present”
• Asst. Prof. Liqaa Amer Ashour, “Iraqi Women as a Cornerstone for Building a Cohesive Society”
• Asst. Prof. Alaa Jawad Haneen, “Peaceful Coexistence and Its Impact on Family Stability in Nineveh”
• Lecturer Heba Hussein Qasim, “The Role of Women Journalists in Promoting Community Peace”
• Asst. Prof. Lara Hassan Abdullah, “Women as Peacemakers: Successful Leadership Models”
• Lecturer Zainab Mohammed Khalaf, “The Active Role of Women in Politics and the Engineering of Community Peace”
Recommendations:
1. Strengthen women’s empowerment in positions of political, media, and civil society leadership.
2. Integrate the concepts of peace, tolerance, and diversity into educational curricula.
3. Highlight women’s roles in promoting a culture of coexistence.
