On May 24th 2021, 25 young women, who are interested in working for women's rights NGOs, participated in an event organized by Spark Organization as part of their 22+You campaign. This campaign is a network of 22 youth leaders from Erbil, Halabja, and Sulaimani, who work as a team to deliver their message through various activities, both online and offline. The event focused on the importance of NGOs, of volunteering, and of women’s involvement in NGOs’ activities and project implementation. It involved working groups and offered a space for open discussion. Dr Choman Hardi was one of the speakers along with Ms Shokhan Ahmad and Begaard Sarbast. In her presentation, Dr. Choman focused on “The Importance of Feminist Consciousness for Woking in Women's NGOs” where she outlined the ethical principles of feminist work and service provision. Her participation is part of the Gender, Justice and Security Hub activities, funded by the UK Research and Innovation's Global Challenges Research Fund.
Image description: There are two photos. In one, we see three rows of slightly-smiling people—three men and 27 women—in a large, beige room with fluorescent lighting. The six people in the first row sit cross-legged on the floor; eight people are seated in chairs behind them; in the back row, 16 people are standing. About a third of the women wear hijab. In the other photo, a woman with dark curly hair sits in a red chair, holding a microphone into which she is speaking. She is looking out into the distance; her right hand is raised in mild gesticulation. She wears a floral dress under a white cardigan. She has a laptop balanced on her lap. Behind her is a large poster with photos of people and, in white font against a purple background, the words Networks of Change and lines of information under that. In the left frame of the photo is a small circular table covered with a red cloth, on which there is a bottle of water, a pair of glasses, and a projector.