CLARA: Designing safer livelihoods programs in Iraq

Overview

Approximately 2.8 million people have been displaced within Iraq by the conflict between the Government of Iraq, Govern ment of Kurdistan and armed opposition groups, including ISIS. Assets have been destroyed, transportation routes are more dangerous, and social tensions are exacerbated. This has disrupted the livelihoods of both internally displaced persons (IDPs) and host communities.

Both the IDP and host communities attempt to protect women and girls by restricting their mobility. This has limited women’s ability to participate in livelihoods, and they are mainly now confined to their homes. As men are the primary breadwinners in Iraq/Kurdistan Region of Iraq (KRI), support for their livelihoods is imperative for the recovery of both IDP and host families, as well as to gain allies for women’s livelihoods.

This report shows how when gender analysis informs programme design, liveli hood initiatives can safely seed longer-term recovery, while saving lives. It describes the work of the Women’s Refugee Commission (WRC), partnered with Oxfam, to pilot the Cohort Livelihoods and Risk Analysis (CLARA) guidance and tool in Iraq/KRI. Developed by WRC, CLARA assesses needs, risks and opportunities, and highlights mitigation strategies for safer, more responsive humanitarian assistance.

Also available is the CLARA toolkit as a separate document ‘ see downloads.