Work for all

Work for all is an initiative that was launched by the Iraq Response Innovation Lab to support employment in Iraq. As Iraq struggles to recover from the war with ISIS, economic hardship and the impact of COVID-19, people from diverse backgrounds and educational levels have had difficulty accessing employment. [Unemployment rates in Iraq].

Whether it is lack of education, experience, or knowledge of the job market, the result is the same: access to employment has been limited. People with experience, training and networks can obtain employment, but where does that leave those who do not have access to these resources? It leaves them with frustration and loss of hope of breaking the cycle of unemployment.

Another challenge was the lack of empowerment and funding for female business founders. Anne Ravanona, the founder, and CEO of "Global Invest Her" was in an interview on Arab Press. She mentioned a metaphor, "Women have 500 cups of coffee with the wrong people and men have five cups of coffee with the right people and get the funding off the back of an envelope" describing the funding status for women in Business.