The Doctor Who Healed a Thousand Souls: Nagham Nawzat and the Yazidi Women of ISIS

Shireen’s Abduction and Years of Captivity

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 do not rape her. It destroyed my life. 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. 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 is too horrible the skeletons of my uncle and my friends are under the ground.

The Yazidi Genocide and Its Lasting Effects

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. 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. 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 would not 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. The experiences of forced conversion sexual slavery and separation from family members form the core of the trauma carried by survivors like Shireen. These events occurred within a systematic campaign that targeted the Yazidi community specifically.

Dr Nagham Nawzat’s Background and Lifelong Commitment

Born in Mosul to a Yazidi family in 1976 her lifelong 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. 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. Her decision to focus on gynaecology stemmed directly from a desire to address women’s health needs within her community from an early stage in her career.

The Duhok Survivors’ Centre and Its Unique Role

In 2015 Nawzat decided to join the Duhok Survivors’ Centre where she volunteers to provide healthcare and psychological support for Iraqi women who survived IS. Funded by the United Nations Population Fund it is the only facility in Iraq that specialises in gender-based violence. The centre operates in the Kurdish region of Iraq and serves as a dedicated space for survivors released from IS control. Women who survived IS often have horrific stories to share. The facility focuses exclusively on cases involving gender-based violence allowing for specialised attention that is not available elsewhere in the country. Nawzat’s work at the centre combines medical examinations with emotional support creating an integrated approach for those who arrive after years of captivity. The centre’s funding from the United Nations Population Fund ensures its continued operation as the sole specialised site of its kind.

Nawzat’s Methods of Care and Trust Building

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 assistance Nawzat maintains availability for follow-up sessions. Her method begins with the standard post-traumatic protocol then moves to physical assessment before shifting to attentive listening. This sequence allows survivors to address both bodily and emotional wounds in one setting. The emphasis on trust enables patients to share details they might otherwise withhold.

Shireen’s Recovery Through Nawzat’s Support

Upon her release from Mosul in 2016 Shireen sought medical attention at the Duhok Survivors’ Centre. Dr Nawzat sat down with me and told me that I was brave. After more than two years of captivity during which she endured repeated rape forced labour and isolation Shireen arrived with depression and nightmares. Nawzat’s combination of physical examination and emotional listening addressed both the immediate health concerns and the psychological aftermath. Shireen credits this support with her ability to continue forward. Without her help I would not be here today. The 23-year-old continues to express deep gratitude for the care received. The process allowed Shireen to recount her experiences including the loss of family members and the conditions of captivity in a supportive environment. This interaction formed a key step in her gradual recovery.

The Reach of Nawzat’s Work Across Liberated Women

Nawzat has provided life-saving support to an estimated 1,200 Yazidi women out of the 2,023 liberated by July 2018. Her efforts extend across multiple cases each involving similar patterns of abduction forced conversion and sexual violence. The International Women of Courage Award recognised her specific contributions to psychological support and the fight against gender-based violence. Through consistent application of her post-traumatic approach at the Duhok Survivors’ Centre she has reached more than half of the documented survivors. This scale reflects the demand for specialised care following the 2014 events in Sinjar and surrounding areas. Survivors return for additional sessions when needed reinforcing the ongoing nature of the support provided.

Meaning for Survivors’ Long-Term Recovery

The support offered by Nawzat at the Duhok Survivors’ Centre demonstrates the importance of integrated medical and psychological care for women released from IS captivity. For individuals like Shireen who faced years of isolation and violence the combination of physical check-ups and attentive listening creates space for rebuilding trust. The centre’s status as the only facility in Iraq specialising in gender-based violence underscores the gap it fills. Survivors gain access to a consistent figure who reinforces their strength and remains available for continued assistance. This model addresses both immediate health needs and the deeper emotional effects documented in accounts from 2014 onward. The work contributes to a broader framework of recovery for the Yazidi community affected by the genocide.