Pakiza's Story: Empowerment through Entrepreneurship

Pakiza, a mother of six from Borek village, is a strong example of how women's empowerment can improve the lives of women and their families in post-conflict settings.

Before 2014, Pakiza worked in the household and took care of her children, while her husband worked in agriculture and made a small living. Her husband's abrupt disappearance before 2014 shifted the family dynamic.

"One day, my husband went to a nearby village to search for work. Ever since, we don’t know where he is. To this day, we don’t know anything about him," she shares.

Her husband's absence has taken a heavy toll on the family's financial situation. Pakiza had to sell her empty plot of land to survive through the unforeseen hardship. But her family’s precarious situation only worsened when ISIS attacked Sinjar in 2014.

"We had no choice but to flee to the mountain. Thousands of families were scattered over the mountain. We stayed for five days, which I consider the most difficult days of my life,” Pakiza recalls.

Pakiza opted to return to Sinjar city after four years of living in IDP camps in the Kurdistan region with little to no support for her and her six children. However, the living conditions in Sinjar remain challenging for her, with no source of income.

Pakiza applied to take part in Nadia's Initiative's women's small business incubator, with the aim of establishing her own business. A few months later, she was selected.

Nadia's Initiative and implementing partner Mission East provided Pakiza with a variety of business management trainings, workshops, and seed money to help her launch her dream business — a fabric shop.

"Initially, sales were slow. However, I believe that success is a process that starts with small steps. So, I didn't give up and continued to work hard. My sales and customers are increasing every day.”

Pakiza's business skills and entrepreneurial spirit have had a positive influence on her journey towards regaining her agency. Her business has been so successful, that she used her profits to launch a second business alongside her daughter, an accessories shop.

“I am grateful to be a woman who can support my children. My advice to other women in similar situations is to stand up for themselves and challenge societal norms. Women are equally capable of providing a decent livelihood for their children.”

Go here to read more about the Nadia's Initiative's assistance for women small business entrepreneurs like Pakiza.