The Women’s Affairs Unit at the Faculty of Nursing organized an awareness workshop entitled “Women with Disabilities: A Group Produced by War and Neglected by Society,” presented by Dr. Intisar Muzaffar Odeh in the presence of a group of professors and staff in the Continuing Education Hall.
The workshop aimed to shed light on the bitter reality experienced by this segment of Iraqi society, reviewing statistics that indicate that there are approximately three to four million people with special needs in Iraq, including a large number of women who have been disabled as a result of wars and conflicts and the landmines, war remnants, and deep psychological trauma they left behind, leading to a loss of security and marginalization after the end of the conflicts, without adequate rehabilitation programs.
The workshop discussed the serious challenges faced by women with disabilities, who combine the pain of injury with the cruelty of social marginalization in the form of pitying or dismissive looks and deprivation of opportunities for education, work, and a stable life, which increases their isolation despite their real abilities and potential. The workshop included contributions from attendees who shared inspiring success stories of women who have defied disability, completed their education, entered the labor market, and achieved outstanding accomplishments in scientific, cultural, and athletic fields, emphasizing that disability does not negate creativity but rather requires a supportive environment that allows women to prove themselves beyond prevailing stereotypes.
The workshop concluded with key recommendations emphasizing the need for the comprehensive integration of women with disabilities into society, starting with the family through the provision of psychological support and encouragement of independence, through the role of educational institutions as inclusive environments, to the role of the media and the state in changing perceptions and activating legislation and services that guarantee their rights and provide them with real opportunities real opportunities for empowerment
and achieve the Sustainable Development Goals, particularly Goal 10 on reducing inequalities, Goal 5 on empowering women, and Goal 3 on good health and well-being. Through these activities, the college seeks to build a just and inclusive society that guarantees the human rights of all its members and provides protection and well-being to the most vulnerable groups, thereby achieving sustainable social peace and social justice.
