Newroz Dijwar/JINHA

KIRKUK – In the city of Kirkuk in the Federal Kurdistan Region, women working for the city government have organized as the Women's and Children's Committee to solve women's issues in the city. However, they say budgetary restrictions make their work difficult.

Women at the Kirkuk city government say that inadequate funding and lack of support from the Iraqi state has made it difficult for them to advance city projects for women and children to the degree that they hope for. Women from diverse cultural backgrounds have come together as women on the Women's and Children's Committee of the city government; they work in four languages, with Turkmen, Kurdish and Arab women all working together. However, they say a lack of budgeting for this issue has put them at a disadvantage.

For example, although the women have formed a committee along with male colleagues to provide medical services for women in the city (such as cancer patients), they do not have knowledge or control of the committee budget. Still, they work to provide treatment services to women by raising money for the committee, said Ani Kristof Serkis.

Esin Mixemed, who has worked in the city's finance department for 22 years, says one pressing need is a childcare center where women working in the city government can take their children while they work. She echoed Ani's concerns that there has not been enough budget or interest in women and children to make the service a reality.

(gc/fk/cm)