New initiative empowers Yazidi women in Nineveh post-ISIS

Shafaq News/ On Friday, an Iraqi Yazidi women’s rights organization launched a new initiative in Nineveh province to aid Yazidi women in rebuilding their lives after years of conflict and captivity under ISIS militants.

The Hope Makers Organization for Woman (HMOW) introduced the “Livelihoods Project” in Sinjar and Sinuni, northwest of Mosul, aiming to provide psychological rehabilitation, healthcare, and economic empowerment to 165 Yazidi women.

“Our goal is to help Yazidi women reintegrate into society while equipping them with essential skills for self-sufficiency,” Nagham Nawzad, HMOW’s director, told Shafaq News, noting that the program includes vocational training in agriculture, textile recycling, soap-making, and modern farming techniques to support economic independence.

Funded by UN Women, in partnership with UNFPA and Al-Messalla, the project also focuses on mental health and medical care to address the trauma experienced by survivors. “As thousands of Yazidi women were abducted, enslaved, and abused when ISIS overran Sinjar in 2014,” Nawzad clarified, “this initiative is crucial for their healing process.”

“By providing professional skills and mental health support, we are giving these women a path toward stability and dignity.”