Bringing Marginalized Communities Back into Iraq’s Market Systems

World VIsion Iraq is breaking down the barriers to the financial inclusion of marginalized groups for enhanced economic participation and inclusive economic development.

World Vision Iraq has worked with the vulnerable children of Iraq, their families and communities, since 2014. World Vision Iraq has a commitment to bring hope and help to children and communities in the country through a range of holistic, integrated projects that promote change and improve well-being. Working in Erbil, Sulaymaniyah, Duhok, Kirkuk, Salah al-Din and Ninewa, WV Iraq has reached 586,736 people in 2019 with a funding portfolio of over 12 million USD.

A market systems approach to financial inclusion means considering all aspects of a market system, and working to break down barriers that exclude the poor by nudging market actors to take up missing or weak functions in the market.

World Vision is implementing ‘Safe Returns in Ninewa, Iraq’ project that aims to create market systems that are resilient, sustainable, and inclusive of women, people with disabilitiess, and those suffering the psychosocial consequences of conflict and displacement.

The project aims to do this by:

strengthening household institutions for enhanced economic participation;
strengthening market systems for inclusive economic development;
supporting conflict prevention and greater social cohesion;
building capacity in natural resource management and climate resilience;
conducting local level advocacy on mental health, gender, and disability inclusion, and;
ensuring the long-term sustainability of actions