Highlighting the legacies of sexual violence in conflict on diverse groups of women

The Human Rights Office of United Nations Assistance Mission for Iraq (UNAMI) jointly with the British Consulate General Erbil, Kurdistan Region of Iraq, held an event to commemorate the International Day for the Elimination of Sexual Violence in Conflict. The event was attended by 34 representatives of civil society organizations (including 25 women), together with representatives from the KRG High Council of Women & Development, members of the diplomatic community in Erbil, UNFPA and UNITAD.

It is now over eight years since Da’esh/Islamic State of Syria and Iraq (ISIS) launched its brutal campaign of sexual violence, forced conversions, and abduction in Iraq, and these crimes continue to negatively impact survivors and affected communities. Speaking at the event, Turkmen, Shabak, Yazidi, Christian and Arab activists highlighted the wider impact of the use of sexual violence, providing insights on the different ways in which women from their communities were targeted with sexual violence by Da’esh/ISIS and the long-term consequences of such violence.

Although the plight of the Yazidi community has been widely recognized, this has not translated into sufficient support and many survivors of sexual violence by Da’esh/ISIS still remain in camps for internally displaced persons (IDPs), with severe negative impact on their ability to rebuild their lives and negative impact on their mental health. Civil society representatives working in support of Yazidi survivors in IDP camps highlighted the importance of a localized and context sensitive approach, building on the expertise of local and women-led NGOs, and enabling long-term and sustainable programming, including in the areas of mental health, legal and livelihood support, that empowers survivors and mobilizes different groups of women to come together to jointly stand up for their rights and support each other.

The event also contributed to broadening awareness of the challenges faced by victims of conflict-related sexual violence by Da’esh/ISIS, by giving space to activists from the Turkmen, Shabak and Christian communities in Iraq to speak about the situation of survivors from their respective communities. Hidden by their families and silenced by their communities and religious leaders, many survivors face threats and stigmatization.

Participants also discussed the experiences of women perceived to be affiliated with Da’esh/ISIS – for example because they were forcibly married to Da’esh/ISIS fighters. Despite being coerced into this situation, many of these women are now paying the price of their male family member’s actions with a heavy stigma that affects their and their children’s lives on many levels, including their access to documentation and other services.

The event highlighted the complex legacy of sexual violence used by Da’esh/ISIS on a wide group of diverse women and the need for holistic and context-sensitive solutions.

UNAMI stands with #survivors.

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