The Doctor Who Gives Life Back: Nagham Nawzat and the Yazidi Women Survivors of Islamic State

The Day IS Militants Entered Sinjar Homes

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 he loved her but when you love someone you do not rape her and it destroyed her 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.

Shireen's story is just one from the thousands of stories recounted by Yazidi women who have experienced the raw cruelty of IS. 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. 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 she 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.

Release From Captivity and Immediate Aftermath

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. 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. 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 described by Shireen reflect patterns reported across many Yazidi women who endured similar conditions during the period of IS control. The restrictions on movement the forced domestic labour and the repeated violence created lasting effects that extended well beyond the moment of physical release. When survivors reached Duhok they often arrived carrying both physical injuries and deep emotional wounds that required immediate attention from specialists familiar with their background.

Dr Nagham Nawzat's Path to Gynaecology and Women's Health

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. 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. She wanted to better understand issues related to women's health teach women about health care and provide support for them.

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 following year 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. Nawzat's decision to focus on gynaecology stemmed from her early awareness of the specific health challenges faced by women in her community and her determination to address those challenges directly through clinical practice and education.

Methods of Care at the Duhok Survivors' Centre

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 need more intensive psychiatric help she refers them to a psychiatrist.

This sequence of care begins with attention to immediate medical needs and moves gradually toward open conversation. The centre's role as the sole specialised facility for gender-based violence in Iraq means that survivors from across the region are directed there for services that combine physical examination with sustained emotional engagement. Nawzat's approach emphasises repeated availability so that women can return for additional sessions when memories resurface or new difficulties arise. The emphasis on trust allows patients to share details they might otherwise keep private and the referral system ensures that those requiring further psychiatric intervention receive appropriate next steps.

International Recognition and Continued Service

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 work has reached an estimated 1,200 women out of the 2,023 recorded as liberated by July 2018. Each case involves the same careful progression from physical assessment to attentive listening and ongoing availability. The award highlighted the combination of clinical skill and personal commitment that has made Nawzat a central figure for many survivors seeking to rebuild their lives after release.

Survivors such as Shireen describe the difference that Nawzat's presence made in the period immediately following their return. The simple act of being told they were brave provided a starting point for recovery. The centre continues to operate as a place where women can receive both medical attention and the kind of steady support that acknowledges the depth of their experiences without requiring them to recount every detail at once. Nawzat's consistent presence has allowed many to maintain contact over time as new challenges emerge in daily life after captivity.

The Human Cost and the Role of Sustained Support

The stories shared by women who reached the Duhok Survivors' Centre illustrate the prolonged effects of captivity that extend into sleep patterns emotional stability and family relationships. Missing relatives and the knowledge of deaths within the community add layers of grief that require ongoing attention. Nawzat's method of combining physical check-ups with repeated opportunities for conversation addresses both the body and the mind in a single setting. The centre's funding from the United Nations Population Fund has enabled this specialised focus on gender-based violence at a time when no other facility in Iraq offers the same range of services.

By maintaining availability for follow-up visits Nawzat ensures that survivors do not face the aftermath of their experiences alone. The trust built through attentive listening allows women to express fears that might otherwise remain unspoken. In cases where additional psychiatric care is needed the referral process connects patients to further resources while preserving the initial relationship established at the centre. This model of care has supported more than half of the women recorded as liberated by mid-2018 and continues to serve as a point of stability for those navigating life after IS captivity.