Seventeen activist form (Basra, Arbil, Dhi Qar, Salahuddin, Maysan, Muthanna, Dohuk and Kirkuk)get together in Baghdad to discuss and  improving their personal protection during their daily work as defenders of human rights and also while using the internet during their work

Shahrazad service center dedicated to human rights defenders provided for those active women the opportunity to  learn the importance of the professional work and use it as a tool for protection , also to explain the various types of risks that could face the Women Human Right defenders

All of this came within the Third  workshop, that have been held within the framework of Shahrazad project that aims for the protection of women  human rights defenders, the workshop lasted three days from the third to the fifth day  of September

The first day was dedicated to explaining the means of digital and internet protection, through a training given by Mr. Ahmed Alnahdh, a specialist in information technology and communications. He discussed social media and its crucial role in supporting advocacy campaigns, if used correctly , and also introduced the various types of risks that could face the women Human Rights Defenders on the internet ,
followed by a simplified training on how to write a press release and  journalist investigation given by the Head of Iraqi Journalist Forum Nibras Al-Maamouri.

The second day addressed the concepts and the legal frameworks within the work of women human rights defenders through the session that was represented by Mr. Dhiyaa Alsarrai, the Communication and Information Program Specialist at the UNESCO office in Iraq. The trainer dealt with the terms and implications of human rights defenders in general, and discussed the Universal Declaration of Human Rights Defenders and its relationship to the international human rights system, the session also addressed the main risks facing WHRDs during their work. Afterwards, the trainer continued in explaining the legal guaranties for WHRDs internationally, and the main protection means in the Iraqi laws.

The third day of the workshop was concluded by theoretical and practical training by Mr. Dhiyaa Alsarrai about the personal safety in the press professional work for WHRDs working in conflict zones, accompanied by a definition of the role of Shahrazad Legal Clinic in the protection of WHRDs and women journalists in Iraq presented by lawyer Mrs. Rajaa Abd Ali, the responsible of the legal clinic in Shahrazad services center. At the end of the workshop, Shahrazad project team handed participation certificates to all the participants of the workshop and thanked them for joining the training.

This workshop is part of Shahrazad Project for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders. It was implemented by the Iraqi Journalists Forum in Baghdad, which dedicates itself to the protection of journalists.  The project is implemented in cooperation with the Iraqi Civil Society Solidarity Initiative and the Italian organization Un Ponte Per…, with funding from the Human Rights Program of the Embassy of the Federal Republic of Germany in Iraq, and the Swiss Foundation Fi.

This workshop is very important for those who are  concerned with the Human Right defending and who are trying to work on  advocacy campaigns to promote their thoughts and also to know what are the ways and means to protect those who defend human rights, whether in work or outside work,  making such workshops is part of creating well knowledge groups that can work within the framework of the law.