3rd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division Public Affairs

Story by 2nd Lt. Jeff Orban

MOSUL, Iraq — The Ninawa Provincial Reconstruction Team has instituted a program to train women's associations in Iraq on business administration practices.

Tony Daza, an economics advisor for the Ninawa PRT and representatives from eight women's associations held an open dialogue Oct. 27 about the details of the training program.

"After we meet with these women's associations, we put them through business training where they learn how to develop business plans," said Daza. "At the end of the training the women put together two business proposals that they present to the PRT for funding."

According to Daza, key leaders with Mulit-National Division- North recognized a need for this kind of project earlier in 2009 and the PRT finally initiated the program in early September.

"All these women have attended a lot of conferences before on empowerment, but this time they were ready for income generating programs," said Daza.

Women's associations that are registered with the Government of Iraq and have more than 100 members are eligible candidates for the training program. Daza then talks to each of the associations about their organization and the goals they want to accomplish. It is at that meeting the women's associations schedule their training.

To date, three women's associations have completed business training and compiled several business proposals as a result.

"We have one group that put a proposal in to create a computer lab where the members of the women's association could receive basic computer training," said Daza. "The computer lab would also serve as a place where the general public could come and pay to rent time on a computer."

Through the training, the PRT introduced business models that would provide the women's associations with a sustainable group income, while also providing some educational value for its members such as basic computer skills or vehicle driver's training.

Daza is working with associations in Bartalah and Cara Qosh, whose memberships are in the thousands. He said the hope is that all of the groups will have the opportunity to start viable, sustainable projects.

"These women have never had access to start a business to generate income of their own," said Daza. "Success for me with this program is giving these women choices to have their own sources of income."

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