This doctor is giving life back to female Yazidi victims of Islamic State

The Ordeal of Captivity: Shireen's Story

DUHOK, Iraq – Shireen was studying for a high school examination at her home in the northern Iraqi town of Sinjar on 3 August 2014, when Islamic State group militants broke into her house and kidnapped her from her family. At the age of 19, she was sold as a sex slave to an IS militant in the north-western city of Tal Afar. Three months later, Shireen was sold once again to Abu Omar, another IS fighter in Mosul, to become his third wife.

"He said 'I love you,' but when you love someone, you don't rape her. It destroyed my life," Shireen tells MEE. "Abu Omar already had two Iraqi wives." Although Abu Omar's other wives lived in a separate house, Shireen says that they used to beat her whenever they got together. For more than two years, Shireen says, she was not allowed to leave the house in Mosul. She was forced to cook, wash the dishes and clean every day. "There were two guards at the entrance of the house, and I was not allowed to go outside, [or] even to the garden to breathe fresh air," she says.

According to Shireen, Abu Omar later brought two other Yazidi girls to the house. One was six years old and was forced to clean the house, while the other was 10. She was raped frequently by Abu Omar: Shireen says she tried to stop him, but her pleas fell on deaf ears. In 2016, Shireen was released by Iraqi forces during the campaign to retake Mosul from IS. After more than two years of captivity, Shireen suffered from depression and constant nightmares that prevented her from sleeping. Her uncle and many of her friends were killed by IS, while her father and one of her sisters have been missing since 2014, after they were also taken.

"It's too horrible, the skeletons of my uncle and my friends are under the ground." Upon her release, she visited Dr Nagham Nawzat, a Yazidi gynaecologist in the city of Duhok, in Iraq's Kurdish region, for a check-up. But Nawzat not only gave her a physical examination - she also listened to Shireen and offered her emotional support. "Dr Nawzat helped all of us. Without her help, I wouldn't be here today," the 23-year-old says. "After I came back from captivity, Dr Nawzat sat down with me and told me that I was brave. I love her so much."

Understanding the Yazidi Community and Their Persecution

Yazidis believe in Yasdan, a god who emanates seven angels. The angel they revere above all others is Melek Tawwus or the Peacock Angel - but Shireen was told by IS that Melek Tawwus was the devil and so was forced to convert to Islam. Shireen's story is just one from the thousands of stories recounted by Yazidi women who have experienced the raw cruelty of IS. In 2014, IS seized almost a third of Iraq. At least 12,000 Yazidis were killed or kidnapped as part of what the United Nations describes as an "ongoing genocide" against the religious minority.

The Yazidi community has long faced marginalization in Iraq, with their distinct religious practices making them targets for extremists who reject their faith. This history of vulnerability intensified dramatically when IS forces overran Sinjar and surrounding areas, leading to systematic abductions and forced conversions that tore families apart and scattered survivors across displacement camps and urban centers in the Kurdish region.

Dr. Nagham Nawzat: A Lifeline for Survivors

Nawzat is highly respected among the Yazidi community. According to Hussein al-Qaidi, the director of the Kidnapped Affairs department at the Kurdistan Regional Government in Duhok, 2,023 Yazidi women have been liberated from IS territories as of July 2018. Nawzat, 42, has provided life-saving support to more than half of them, helping an estimated 1,200 Yazidi women, according to al-Qaidi. In March 2016, Nawzat received the International Women of Courage Award from then-US Secretary of State John Kerry for providing psychological support to traumatised Yazidi survivors and for combating gender-based violence.

Born in Mosul to a Yazidi family in 1976, her life-long dream was to study medicine. Concerned about women's issues from an early age, she graduated with a degree in gynaecology from Mosul's Medical College in 2002. "[I wanted] to better understand issues related to women's health, teach women about health care and provide support for them," she tells MEE. In 2014, as IS seized territory, Nawzat decided to join the Duhok Survivors' Centre, where she volunteers to provide healthcare and psychological support for Iraqi women who survived IS.

The Duhok Survivors' Centre and Its Unique Approach

Funded by the United Nations Population Fund, it's the only facility in Iraq that specialises in gender-based violence. The women who survived IS often have horrific stories to share. Nawzat therefore uses a post-traumatic medical approach commonly found in Iraq. Afterwards, she conducts a thorough physical check-up and then listens attentively as her patients talk about their fears and their traumatising experiences. Nawzat offers them support and positive reinforcement "like a big sister the survivors can confide in," she says.

According to Nawzat, as she creates a relationship with her patients based on mutual trust so they confide in her and reveal their deepest emotions and fears with ease. She is happy to meet her patients again whenever they request psychological support. In severe cases where women require ongoing care, the centre coordinates with local authorities to ensure continued access to services, though resources remain stretched as more survivors come forward.

International Recognition and Support

The International Women of Courage Award highlighted Nawzat's role in addressing the specific needs of Yazidi women, drawing global attention to the scale of trauma inflicted during the IS campaign. This recognition has helped secure additional funding for the centre, yet the work continues largely through dedicated local efforts amid fluctuating international commitments.

Survivors like Shireen emphasize how such support has allowed them to rebuild aspects of their lives, returning to education or seeking employment despite persistent health challenges. The centre's model combines medical treatment with emotional care, setting a standard for addressing gender-based violence in conflict zones across the region.

Ongoing Challenges in Recovery and Justice

Many survivors continue to face barriers to full recovery, including missing family members whose fates remain unknown and the psychological scars that affect daily life. Figures on the total number of those still missing were not immediately available from official sources. The process of seeking justice through courts has been slow, with limited prosecutions of perpetrators leaving many women without a sense of closure.

Economic pressures in displacement settings compound these difficulties, as women strive to support themselves while managing health issues stemming from their captivity. Nawzat's continued availability for follow-up sessions provides a vital thread of stability amid these uncertainties.

The Broader Context of Genocide and Human Rights in the Region

The Yazidi experience under IS reflects patterns of targeted violence against minority communities that have recurred in parts of the Middle East, underscoring the need for sustained attention to protection mechanisms. Local organizations and international bodies have documented these events, yet implementation of support programs often lags behind identified needs.

Dr. Nawzat's work stands as an example of how individual commitment within affected communities can address immediate human suffering while contributing to longer-term resilience. Her patients' accounts illustrate both the depth of loss and the capacity for gradual healing when compassionate care is accessible.