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Note: We have changed the client’s name for confidentiality reasons.
Zahra, a bright and ambitious young woman from a supportive family, had her life drastically altered by domestic violence. Her journey from a promising future to a shattered existence is a stark reminder of the enduring trauma inflicted by gender-based violence. Yet, through resilience and the support of the Jiyan Foundation, Zahra transformed her pain into purpose, becoming a beacon of hope for other survivors.
A life interrupted
Zahra, a 31-year-old university graduate and women’s rights activist, used to excel academically and professionally. However, her life took a devastating turn when her husband’s behaviour shifted from loving to abusive. Their once-promising marriage deteriorated into a toxic relationship marked by violence and emotional turmoil. To ensure the safety of her unborn child and escape the escalating abuse, Zahra sought refuge in a women’s shelter.
The path to divorce was difficult, marked by legal challenges and societal stigma. Isolated and judged, Zahra retreated into a shell, and her spirit weakened. The weight of her experiences cast a long shadow, resulting in anger, despair, and suicidal thoughts.
Transformation and empowerment
Seeking solace and support, Zahra turned to the Jiyan Foundation. She embarked on a healing and recovery journey through intensive psychological counseling. With the aid of cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT), anger management techniques, and life skills training, Zahra gradually reclaimed her agency.
After completing nine therapy sessions, Zahra’s progress was remarkable. She reported significant improvements in her mental health, including a reduction in depression and PTSD symptoms. Her anger management skills had improved, allowing her to navigate difficult situations more calmly.
The European Union’s generous funding made this treatment possible. Their support has been instrumental in enabling the Jiyan Foundation to provide essential services to survivors of domestic violence and contribute to building a more just and equitable society.
We hope that by sharing this case study, we can shed light on the transformative power of psychological treatment and the importance of supporting survivors of domestic violence. The client’s journey demonstrates the effectiveness of our trauma care and health programs, as well as the positive impact they can have on individuals’ lives.
Learn more about our programs for Trauma Care and Health
This publication was funded by the European Union. Its contents are the sole responsibility of Jiyan Foundation for Human Rights and do not necessarily reflect the views of the European Union.
Urgent Need for Implementation of State-Sponsored Rehabilitation System Under Yazidi Survivors’ Law
DUHOK – As we approach the tenth anniversary of the Yazidi genocide, the Coalition for Just Reparations (C4JR) Rehabilitation Working Group emphasises that the comprehensive, state-sponsored rehabilitation system envisioned under the Yazidi Survivors’ Law (YSL) remains critically important. This system will play a crucial role in fostering the healing of individual survivors, their families, and entire communities affected by the atrocities committed by the so-called Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL). The General Directorate for Survivors’ Affairs has already taken steps to create and implement this rehabilitation program – a vital initiative that C4JR pledges to support.
Recent research led by Dr. Jan Ilhan Kizilhan highlights a troubling increase in suicide rates among Yazidis, underscoring the dire need for robust mental health support and rehabilitation services. The psychological trauma resulting from genocide, sexual enslavement, and displacement continues to devastate survivors’ lives, leading to severe mental health issues including PTSD and depression. Dr. Kizilhan’s study, published in Frontiers in Psychology – a multidisciplinary journal that publishes advances in psychological research – specifically points to a high prevalence of suicide among Yazidi survivors, indicating an urgent need for enhanced rehabilitation services to address these critical mental health challenges.
C4JR’s Rehabilitation Working Group has been diligently working on creating a set of human rights indicators to facilitate and evaluate the process of establishing a holistic state-sponsored rehabilitation system. It also provided an input to the UN Special Rapporteur on Torture highlighting rehabilitation needs of ISIL committed wartime sexual torture survivors. These efforts are aimed at ensuring that rehabilitation services meet international standards and effectively address the complex needs of the survivors.
On 12 June, 2024, C4JR held an event in Erbil to mark the launch of a new guide for using human rights indicators to monitor the implementation and realisation of the right to rehabilitation for survivors of ISIL crimes in Iraq, as guaranteed under the YSL. This latest report, “Right to Rehabilitation as Reparation for Survivors of Grave Human Rights Violations,” was produced by C4JR, the Jiyan Foundation for Human Rights, and the International Centre for Health and Human Rights (ICHHR), and the event provided a much-needed opportunity to discuss this work.
The launch event was designed to bring together diverse actors, including UN Special Rapporteur on Torture Dr. Alice Edwards who provided keynote remarks, to mobilise shared commitment to supporting effective implementation of the YSL. The collaborative efforts and shared insights underscored the commitment to providing rehabilitation for survivors of ISIL crimes.
In light of the increasing mental health crisis among Yazidis, highlighted by Dr. Kizilhan’s research, it is imperative that the Iraqi government, civil society organisations and international community work together to put in place a sustainable quality rehabilitation system. Such a system should provide comprehensive mental health care, social support, and economic opportunities to help survivors rebuild their lives.
“Research has shown that the rates of suicidal thoughts and PTSD are high among survivors,” says Suzan Mohammed Hassen, a member of C4JR’s Rehabilitation Working Group. “This indicates that survivors still need support.” Suzan has published research in the International Journal of Social Psychiatry on post-traumatic stress disorder and gender among the Yazidi population after the traumatic events caused by ISIL, which found a statistically significant association between gender with trauma and PTSD.
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Trauma Care and Health
In the wake of the devastating ISIL genocide against the Yazidi community in 2014, the story of Azad emerges as a beacon of resilience and hope amid unimaginable darkness. Hailing from the tranquil town of Hardan in Sinjar, Azad was just a 9-year-old boy filled with aspirations of a bright future. With a family of eight, he cherished the simplicity of life, relishing his studies and nurturing dreams of one day becoming a doctor or teacher.
However, the tranquillity of Azad’s world shattered when the ruthless grip of ISIS tightened around Sinjar. Suddenly, innocence was eclipsed by terror as Azad and his family faced the horrors of abduction and separation. In a cruel twist of fate, ISIS tore apart the fabric of his family, snatching away his father, brother, cousin, mother, and sister, leaving Azad and his fellow male relatives at the mercy of their captors. “I was too little and didn’t know what was going on,” he says, reflecting on that terrifying time.
Forced into the confines of the so-called “Sharia Institute”, Azad and his peers found themselves thrust into a nightmare, stripped of their childhoods and thrust into a twisted curriculum of violence and oppression. Dreams of classrooms and playgrounds gave way to the harsh reality of combat training and indoctrination. The echoes of brutality reverberated through the halls as ISIL enforced their reign of terror with ruthless efficiency, subjecting disobedience to unspeakable punishments.
ISIS employed various methods of torture if the boys violated any of their rules, such as beating with cables or wooden sticks. After this period, Azad and his friends at the Institute endured a siege and bombardment that was no better than before.
“We were forced to participate in battles, in a war that wasn’t appropriate for our ages,” Azad shares sadly, recounting being moved across locations including Badush, Tal Afar, and Mosul, for five terrible years of captivity.
Yet, amid the darkness, a flicker of hope endured. Azad and his friends clung to the distant promise of freedom, their spirits unbroken despite their hardships. Enduring years of confinement and displacement, Azad’s resilience never wavered. Through the relentless siege and relentless bombardment, he remained steadfast in his determination to defy the tyranny of ISIL.
“They moved us to Baghouz and then to Al Hol Camp,” he remembers before he was moved to Khansour, and an IDP camp for displaced Yazidis. “After that, I joined the Jiyan Foundation to take part in some psychological sessions, where I noted an improvement in my psychological state,” he says.
Upon his liberation, Azad found solace and healing in the compassionate embrace of the Jiyan Foundation for Human Rights. Through therapeutic sessions and psychological support, he embarked on a journey of healing, reclaiming fragments of his shattered psyche and piecing together the remnants of his fractured spirit.
“When Azad first came to us, he was suffering from severe depression and post-traumatic stress disorder. He exhibited a range of distressing symptoms, such as self-harm and difficulty communicating with both his family and society,” says Nada Salm, a psychotherapist at the Jiyan Foundation in Nineveh. “As psychotherapists, we conducted several sessions with Azad to help him overcome his issues, and our psychiatrist prescribed medication to aid his recovery. Our social worker also provided support to help Azad face the challenges he was experiencing. In addition, our legal team guided him and helped him understand his right to reparation based on Yazidi Survivor’s Law.”
Today, as Azad reflects on his journey, he does so with gratitude and resilience. His journey from victim to survivor is a testament to the indomitable strength of the human spirit. With each step forward, he carries with him the echoes of his past, transformed into a beacon of hope for others who have endured similar trials. Through his resilience and determination, Azad stands as a testament to the enduring power of hope in the face of unspeakable darkness. “I have improved greatly since my first therapy session, and I encourage everyone who has been through similar circumstances during the previous period to visit therapists and begin their healing journey to overcome what we have been through and alleviate our pain,” he says.
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The Jiyan Foundation’s impact is made possible through the support of the German Federal Foreign Office.
