The study recommended:
Parallel, coordinated sector programming in:
• Community-based protection: actors including World Vision can extend technical capacity across sectors to strengthen community safety nets.
• Livelihoods: potentially through Cash for Work as well as value chain development, for more sustainable cash flow and resulting decreased household stress.
• Youth life skills: including for out-of-school youth, to challenge gender stereotypes and help young people with positive life choices.
• Safe places and ways to talk about violence: Opportunities to talk safely about violence and vulnerabilities (for women and for men) is key to addressing them.
**Integrating gender-based violence (GBV) awareness in cash process:
Women were less likely to identify violence against them and their children than men. A significant step for cash programming would be inclusion of GBV awareness including legal rights, referrals and counselling support.
A long-term strategy for cash as a social protection tool in Iraq:
Donors are working less in Northern Iraq than previously and there is pressure on government to restore reliable welfare services. All partners have accountability to current cash recipients to resolve social welfare responsibilities transparently.
Setting genuine gender outcomes:
The study found women were less likely to be working or to control cash resources, were less happy, and defined home violence less broadly, than men. For strengthened gender results within cash transfer projects, and also more broadly, goals and indicators require a strengthened gender lens.
Specific situation analysis of social protection needs:
The study offers evidence that violence and rights abuse against women and children is happening, but it has not measured extent or type of violence. Issues affecting women and children merit specific and separate research, using methodologies sensitive to current community reluctance to talk about situations and root causes.
Donor commitment across sectors to support the above:
With criteria for cash programming that takes into consideration vulnerable ages for early marriage, child labour and school dropout, and flexibility of programming to connect with positive social initiatives for gender inclusion, adolescent/youth empowerment and reducing gender-based violence.