Who we are
Unlearn is a feminist non-profit organisation based in Iraq. We started with a simple observation: many of the ideas that hold women back are repeated so often that they feel like facts. “That is shameful.” “That is not for girls.” “Be patient, we all were.” We wanted a place where those sentences could be examined calmly, honestly and without fear.
Today Unlearn is a growing community of writers, educators, students and volunteers. We publish in Arabic and English, run learning circles and workshops, and connect women with organisations that can support them.
Our mission
To help women and girls in Iraq recognise, question and let go of harmful norms, and to give them the knowledge, language and community to live with dignity, safety and choice.
Our vision
An Iraq where a girl’s future is not decided by the fear of what people will say: where women are safe, heard and free to shape their own lives and their society.
Our values
- Dignity first. Every woman is the expert on her own life. We inform, we do not lecture.
- Safety and privacy. We protect the people we work with: no names without consent, no stories without permission.
- Rooted in Iraq. Our work speaks the languages and dialects of the women we serve, and starts from their reality.
- Inclusive. Feminism is for women of every city, religion, ethnicity, class and ability, and for the men who stand with them.
- Independent. We are not affiliated with any political party, sect or armed group.
- Curious, not certain. Unlearning is a practice. We change our minds when we learn better.
How we work
We combine three things: knowledge (articles, guides and workshops), community (spaces where women can speak freely and learn from each other) and connection (referring people to trusted legal, health and psychosocial services). We are an online organisation: everything we do happens on the internet, so women anywhere in Iraq, and beyond, can take part safely from their phones.
Our team
Unlearn is run by a small team of Iraqi women and volunteers. Some of us work under pen names for our safety, and we respect that choice for everyone who writes with us.
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