On June 23, 2022, CGDS Director Dr. Choman Hardi and CGDS Research Fellow Dr. Twana Hassan met with the honorable Dr. Pshtiwan Sadiq, KRG Minister of Endowment and Religious Affairs. After explaining CGDS objectives and projects, Dr. Choman mentioned the importance of collaboration with the Ministry to build the capacity of the Ministry’s staff, including the Gender Unit and the Sermon Committee, and raising awareness about gender issues in Kurdistan. Dr. Pshtiwan Sadiq also highlighted what the Ministry has done so far and how they would like to continue building bridges with different groups and agencies for meeting the objectives of the Ministry, especially for capacity building and policy development. Both sides agreed on future collaborations for training, capacity building, and development of guidelines with and for religious leaders within the mandate of the Ministry. CGDS will start planning its activities with the Ministry through further coordination with a Dr. Salah Ali, the advisor on Religious Freedom and Anti-discrimination, and Mr. Amir and Ms. Dastan, senior staff members of the Gender Unit. The planned activities with the Ministry will be part of the Gender, Justice and Security Hub, supported by the UK Research and Innovation’s Global Challenges Research Fund.
Image description: All three photos are from a reception office with marble walls, black chairs, a large, cream-colored carpet, and flags on display. In one photo, two men and two women, all wearing jackets and trousers, and all slightly smiling, stand against the wall, looking at the camera. In another photo, the same group of people, joined by another man, wearing a suit, are seated in large black chairs. In the third photo, we see one of the women, who has dark curly hair and is wearing a royal blue jacket, seated on the left and one of the men, with short dark hair and wearing a grey suit o the right; they are flanking a small brown table on which there is tea and water, and above which is a large, framed piece of calligraphic art.