Restoring Dignity: The Humanitarian Response to Yazidi Survivors of Sexual Violence

The Harrowing Ordeal of Yazidi Women Under IS Occupation

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. Her 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.

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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 is too horrible the skeletons of my uncle and my friends are under the ground.

Recognizing the Yazidi Genocide A UN Designation with Profound Implications

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. This designation carries weight because it acknowledges the systematic targeting of an entire community based on faith and identity. The scale of loss documented in official counts reveals how deeply the violence fractured families and villages across Sinjar and surrounding areas. Such recognition opens pathways for international accountability yet the human cost remains immediate for those who survived captivity and now navigate daily reminders of what was taken from them.

The genocide label also highlights patterns of forced conversion sexual enslavement and mass displacement that echo across generations. Survivors carry both visible and invisible wounds that require sustained attention from medical and psychological services. The United Nations framing underscores the need for protection mechanisms that extend beyond immediate rescue operations into long-term community rebuilding efforts.

Dr Nagham Nawzat A Lifelong Commitment to Women's Health

Born in Mosul to a Yazidi family in 1976 Dr Nagham Nawzat's 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. Her decision to specialize in gynaecology stemmed from a desire to address vulnerabilities that many women in her community faced long before the events of 2014. This foundation prepared her to respond when the crisis intensified and thousands of women required both medical care and compassionate listening.

Dr Nawzat's approach combines clinical expertise with an understanding of cultural and spiritual contexts unique to Yazidi survivors. She recognizes that physical examinations alone cannot address the full scope of trauma. Her presence in Duhok has become a steady point of reference for women seeking to rebuild their sense of safety and dignity after prolonged captivity.

The Duhok Survivors Centre A Beacon of Hope in the Kurdish Region

In 2015 Dr 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 Iraq's Kurdish region offering a dedicated space where survivors can access services tailored to their experiences. Its singular focus on gender-based violence distinguishes it from broader medical facilities and allows for concentrated expertise in post-conflict recovery.

The centre's role extends to coordinating with local authorities such as the Kidnapped Affairs department at the Kurdistan Regional Government in Duhok. According to Hussein al-Qaidi the director of that department 2,023 Yazidi women have been liberated from IS territories as of July 2018. Dr Nawzat has provided life-saving support to more than half of them helping an estimated 1,200 Yazidi women according to al-Qaidi. These figures illustrate the centre's reach and the concentrated demand for specialized care in the aftermath of mass abduction and enslavement.

Healing Beyond the Physical Psychological Support for Trauma Survivors

The women who survived IS often have horrific stories to share. Dr 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. Dr Nawzat offers them support and positive reinforcement like a big sister the survivors can confide in she says. As she creates a relationship with her patients based on mutual trust 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.

This method acknowledges that recovery unfolds over time and cannot be rushed through single visits. By remaining available for follow-up conversations Dr Nawzat helps survivors process layers of grief that surface months or years after liberation. The emphasis on trust-building transforms clinical encounters into sustained partnerships that honour each woman's pace of healing.

Stories of Resilience How Survivors Like Shireen Reclaim Their Lives

Upon her release Shireen visited Dr Nagham Nawzat a Yazidi gynaecologist in the city of Duhok for a check-up. But Dr 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. These words capture the profound shift that occurs when survivors encounter consistent validation instead of judgment. Shireen's testimony reflects how one doctor's presence can anchor a young woman navigating depression nightmares and the absence of family members.

Many survivors share similar accounts of finding renewed strength through the centre's services. The combination of medical attention and emotional reinforcement allows women to envision futures that once seemed unreachable. Such individual transformations contribute to collective resilience within the Yazidi community as survivors gradually reintegrate into daily life while carrying forward their experiences.

International Recognition and the Fight Against Gender-Based Violence

In March 2016 Dr 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. This recognition draws global attention to the specific needs of women emerging from captivity and affirms the value of localized expertise in addressing widespread trauma. The award also signals broader international concern for the protection of religious minorities facing targeted sexual violence during conflict.

By highlighting Dr Nawzat's work the award underscores how individual practitioners can influence systemic responses to gender-based violence. It encourages continued funding and support for facilities like the Duhok Survivors Centre while reminding policymakers that recovery requires both immediate medical intervention and enduring psychological care.

Broader Human Rights Lessons from the Yazidi Experience

The experiences documented through Dr Nawzat's work illuminate patterns of conflict-related sexual violence that affect communities worldwide. The systematic use of enslavement and forced conversion against Yazidi women reveals how armed groups exploit social and religious divisions to inflict lasting harm. Lessons drawn from the Duhok Survivors Centre emphasize the necessity of specialized facilities that integrate physical and emotional care rather than treating them as separate domains.

Survivors such as Shireen demonstrate remarkable courage in voicing their stories and seeking support. Their journeys point toward the importance of sustained international engagement that moves beyond rescue operations to encompass long-term rehabilitation. The ongoing nature of the genocide designation reminds the global community that accountability and healing remain unfinished tasks requiring coordinated effort across medical humanitarian and political spheres.