An estimated 2,700 Yazidi women are still held captive by the Islamic State (ISIS). Dr. Leyla Ferman, representing Justice for Women, a Germany-based organization active since 2019, shared their efforts to rescue, rehabilitate, and empower these women with Berivan Altan from Mezopotamya Agency on Thursday.
On the ninth anniversary of the ISIS-perpetrated Yazidi Genocide, Yazidi women, who were once captured, sold in slave markets, and assaulted by ISIS during systematic abductions from Mousul to Idlib, from Germany to Ankara, are now actively defending their land and seeking justice.
In Diyarbakır (Amed), on 17 February 2015, the Platform for the Struggle for Abducted Women was established under the leadership of the Democratic Society Congress (DTK) and the now-closed Free Women’s Congress (KJA). The platform worked to identify responsibilities during the genocide and moved to Germany due to the migration of many rescued women and children.
Ferman spoke about their work in Diyarbakır after the ISIS attacks, stating, “At that time, we were taking care of those who escaped from ISIS and conducting interviews about what the women had experienced. We decided to undertake legal work related to the genocide and began recording the women’s narratives.”
She also noted that many women were still afraid, as their families were in ISIS’ hands, and they did not want their stories shared with the media or the public.
The threat from ISIS continues, and Ferman recalled a report prepared in 2022 with the Yazidi Justice Commission (YJC), arguing that Turkey, Syria, and Iraq should be tried in the International Court of Justice for being “accomplices in the Yazidi genocide.”
Ferman also discussed the rebuilding of Sinjar, sharing information about various projects carried out in Germany. They are working with over 40 members and volunteers from countries including Turkey, Cyprus, Germany, Switzerland, Belgium, Iraq, and Syria.
Among their efforts are a women’s hospital in Sinjar, a nursery for children, and psychological support for women and children. Ferman also mentioned the Women for Nature project, which began in 2020 at the women’s request to create green spaces in Sinjar.
Despite political instability and Turkish airstrikes hindering their work, Ferman stressed that the women continue their efforts to rebuild Sinjar under challenging conditions.
Finally, Dr. Leyla Ferman underscored that the organisation and struggle of Yazidi women mark historic firsts, and she emphasised the urgent need for recognition of Sinjar’s status.
