Threads of Empowerment Through a Women Led Tailoring Atelier
Laughter and jokes fill the air in this modest, women-led tailoring atelier in the heart of Rummaneh. The interior walls are adorned with colorful dresses, contrasting with the dark clothing worn by the tailors. Iman, the brain behind this initiative, says with a laugh, “We are all widowed or divorced!”
In Rummaneh, a conservative area district of Anbar, 248 kilometers from the capital of Baghdad, Iman, a 45-year-old divorcée and mother of one, opened an all-women (and women-led) enterprise named Rummaneh Tailoring Atelier.
Iman is passionate about the initiative, and passionate about the support she provides to other women in her neighborhood, particularly single and chronically ill women.
While Iman has cultivated a beautiful atmosphere in her atelier, where women can vent their difficulties and problems, it took her many hard years to reach this point. The smile on her face and her cheerful spirit belie years of struggle, sacrifice, and rebuilding a life broken by events beyond her control.
Reflecting on herself, Iman said, “Before, I was always at home with my sister-in-law. I didn’t know anyone and felt depressed. I felt frustrated. I did not have a goal in life. I was working all day long to make a living for my son, but since I opened the tailoring atelier, my character has changed, and I feel happy inside. I say thank God for everything. I am hopeful that the coming days will be better.”
Learning Early to Be Self-Reliant
Iman married at the age of twenty. Her husband was also from her neighborhood but was already married and had children. Iman became the second wife but was divorced when her son, Haitham, was only three years old. After her divorce, she moved in with her brother’s family. There, Iman started using her deceased mother’s tailoring machine to make a living for herself and Haitham, who needed milk, diapers, and medication. Iman had to rely on herself to support both Haitham and her brother’s family of eleven members. She continued tailoring during this time, though life remained challenging.
Experiencing Misfortune and Empathy for Others
One year after conflict erupted in 2014, Iman and her brother’s family were forced to flee their home. After her cousin was killed, they began to fear for their lives and decided to leave Rummaneh. Iman left with many others from her neighborhood. Cramped into large trucks, Iman and her family spent ten days on the road. Reflecting on those days, Iman said, “We felt the tragedy. We wished to be dead rather than live like this. Our children were hungry and thirsty. There was no bread or water. It was very hot, and no amount of water was enough.”
Iman continued, “In displacement, we learned things we had never known before. Before, we didn’t know what it meant to be truly hungry or thirsty, but displacement taught us many things. We learned patience and how to help those who have nothing.”
After ten days, they arrived in Erbil, where they settled in a rural area since it was the only place they could afford the rent. Iman said, “Our children missed years of education because we didn’t have the financial means to send them to school.”
In Erbil, Iman, Haitham, and her brother’s family experienced more of the harsh realities of displacement. Haitham, then a teenager, and his uncle had to do odd jobs to make ends meet. The money they earned was barely enough to cover rent. Then, Iman began working as a tailor. She recalled, “I worked with a tailor in Erbil, but my income was low, and we barely made ends meet for my child and me.”
During this time, Iman participated in a project run by an organisation in Erbil that helped internally displaced people. They supported Iman by providing her with a sewing machine. Her situation started to improve. “I started getting clients, and life went on smoothly until we returned to our home in Anbar,” said Iman
Rebuilding a Damaged Life in Rummaneh
“We started to cry when we arrived home. All the houses had collapsed, and there was no furniture or electricity. We painted the house, reinstalled the electrical lines, and began planting the land to live again. We started from zero.” Remembered Iman.
During that time, Iman joined a project that is implemented by UNDP, in partnership with World Vision Iraq, and with funding from the German Government. The project, Socio-Economic and Community Resilience for the Prevention of Violent Extremism (SERVE), aimed to help families access safe and sustainable livelihood opportunities, including employment through vocational training, business management, and career coaching, combined with cash awards, life-skills training, and apprenticeships for communities.
Through this project, Iman joined a 15-day business management training. After completing her training, she received a grant through which she rented a damaged, abandoned house. She used some of the money to paint it and install an electrical system. Iman said, “I wanted to open a tailoring atelier. I bought tailoring machines. I really like tailoring, and I really like to help women.”
Iman started spreading the word about her space to other women who participated in the project but were involved in different activities, such as beauty care or trading business. She invited them to join her atelier. Six women, mostly widows, joined the atelier. However, within about a month, some of the women told her that their families wouldn’t allow them to run their businesses in the atelier. Iman explained, “In our Arabic community, they (the men) don’t allow us to go out on our own. It is difficult in our area. But I told them I will persist, and I will continue to keep the atelier open.”
Iman’s atelier eventually lost the beauty care section and clothes business. Many of the women left the atelier due to family and societal pressure, as well as financial difficulties, as they had the extra burden of contributing to the rent of the atelier. Iman said, “Now we pay the rent from the income we receive. We also pay for electricity. The most important thing is to keep the atelier open.”
Despite the initial withdrawal of some of the atelier workers, Iman is proud that today she is hosting thirteen women tailors who work in shifts. She is particularly proud that her atelier has become a hub supporting young orphaned adult women, widowed and divorced women, and women living with chronic illness. These days, Iman feels content with how her life has changed. “I want to build my life again. I want to have a house where my son and I can live on our own.”
This atelier is not only a refuge for women but also a space to learn from one another. Through this gathering of women, skills and knowledge are transferred. Iman learned from the women about savings groups, where they regularly save small amounts of money and periodically collect the money when their turn comes. Through such savings, Iman was able to lay the foundation for her new home. Soon, she hopes to support her son in getting married.
Iman reflected, “Women must be strong, have something to do, and not surrender to life. My dream is to have a tailoring factory, not just an atelier, and I hope it succeeds. Our companionship and friendship at the atelier are very nice. I am proud of all that I did.”
This summer, Iman was selected to be a tailoring workshop trainer at one of the tailoring centers of CRISSA, Socioeconomic Reintegration of Returnees and Community Members, a project implemented by UNDP in partnership with World Vision Iraq and with the generous support of USAID.
Through the SERVE project, we have supported 280 women and men in Anbar, Ninewa, and Salah al-Din helping to integrate young adults, including internally displaced persons, returnees, and host communities, into their societies and economies by providing alternative socioeconomic opportunities, promoting gender equality and women's empowerment, and engaging youth in building social cohesion. Women like Iman do not only have financial independence, but they also feel empowered and are transferring their knowledge and sense of empowerment to others.