Iraqi women scientists, engineers, health professionals paired with international counterparts

The Committee on Human Rights of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and the Institute of Medicine has developed a new project that will help Iraqi women stay in touch with new developments pertaining to their professional fields.

Prior to the early 1990s, Iraqi women working in areas such as medicine and science were given ample opportunities to research and teach. However, now due to the present state of Iraq, most women have had to halt their studies, as their institutions have been closed or become too dangerous to attend.

The International Twinning Project for Iraqi Women has created a network of intellectual and moral support that will help female scientists, engineers, and medical professionals stay in touch with their colleagues and remain informed about new developments in their fields. The project aims to “provide Iraqi women colleagues – those remaining in Iraq and those who have taken refuge in other countries – access to news of current developments in their fields, including scientific papers, breaking developments in their field, information on relevant international meetings, and moral and collegial support,” the Committee website says.

To date, 13 pairs of women have been placed and they are now communicating and building connections.

For more information on the Twinning Project, click here.