As part of the "Iraqi Open Initiative" program, the President of Women Empowerment Organization (WEO), Mrs. Suzan Aref led a couple of meetings with different ministries in the city of Erbil. On the 23d of September, Mrs. Suzan Aref and the project manager of Internews organization, Ms. Sara Sofiwan, met with Dr. Fouad Fleih, the Director-General of the National Center for Administrative Development in the Ministry of Planning. Additionally, on the 24th of September Mrs. Suzan Aref met with the Director-General of Budget in the Ministry of Finance, Mrs. Taif Sami.

The aim of the meetings was to present a set of recommendations that would work as a road map for working on a Gender-Responsive Budget. The recommendations were the result of four intensive consultative sessions at the national level, with the participation of more than 96 representatives of stakeholders in different sectors.