August 3, 2014, dawned like any other day in Sinjar, northern Iraq, a rugged region near the Syrian border that the Yezidi people, an ancient religious minority, had called home for centuries. But by midday, the Islamic State (ISIS) descended with a chilling mission: to exterminate the Yezidis, whom they branded as “infidels.” In mere hours, the 400,000-strong community was shattered—men massacred, boys conscripted as child soldiers, and thousands of women and girls abducted into sexual slavery. Amid this genocide, Yezidi women endured horrors that defy comprehension, yet their courage to escape and their relentless pursuit of justice a decade later stand as a testament to the human spirit. How did these women survive, and what are they doing to hold ISIS accountable today?
The Nightmare Unleashed
ISIS’s assault on Sinjar was a calculated act of genocide, later recognized by the UN in 2016 as an attempt to erase the Yezidi identity. Men who refused to convert to Islam were executed en masse—shot or beheaded—their bodies dumped into over 80 mass graves scattered across the region. Boys as young as seven were ripped from their families, brainwashed in ISIS camps, and forced into combat roles or used as suicide bombers. Women and girls, some as young as nine, faced a fate ISIS codified in its manuals: systematic rape and enslavement to destroy the Yezidi lineage. ISIS believed children born of these assaults would be Muslim under Iraq’s patrilineal laws, severing the Yezidi heritage.
The scale of the atrocities was staggering. A 2014 UN report, based on 500 witness interviews, documented that ISIS abducted over 6,000 Yezidi women and children, with 5,000 to 7,000 detained as slaves or forced brides. In the village of Kojo, south of Sinjar, up to 1,000 women and children were taken in a single day, while 400 men were shot for refusing conversion. Survivors recounted being sold in slave markets across Iraq and Syria, subjected to daily rape, torture, and forced marriages. Girls as young as ten were flogged for dress code violations, and some were stoned on fabricated adultery charges, their lives reduced to property in the hands of their captors.
Defying the Unthinkable: Stories of Escape
Against this backdrop of terror, Yezidi women showed extraordinary bravery. Many risked their lives to escape, using whatever means they could. Some slipped sedatives into their captors’ food or drink, waiting for them to fall unconscious before fleeing into the night. Others took even more daring risks, leaping from moving vehicles as they were transported between slave markets or detention sites, often sustaining injuries but driven by a desperate need for freedom. A 2017 Amnesty International interview with a survivor named Nahla* revealed her ordeal in Al-Hol camp, where she was enslaved by an ISIS-affiliated family, stripped of her identity, and forced to conform. Yet, she eventually escaped, though the scars of indoctrination made reclaiming her Yezidi roots a painful journey.
Nadia Murad, another survivor, became a global symbol of resilience. Abducted in 2014, she endured months of rape and torture, her captors justifying their actions with a twisted interpretation of Sharia. Her mother and six brothers were killed by ISIS, yet Murad escaped after a failed attempt by her captor to move her to another city. She fled on foot, eventually reaching safety, and her story didn’t end there. In 2018, she was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for her advocacy against sexual violence in conflict, using her voice to shine a light on the Yezidi genocide.
The Long Road to Justice
A decade after the genocide, the wounds remain raw. As of 2024, 2,800 Yezidi women and children are still missing, many believed to be trapped in detention camps like Al-Hol in Northeast Syria, where 44,000 women and children live in dehumanizing conditions alongside their former captors, according to a 2024 UN Commission of Inquiry statement. Survivors in these camps often hide their Yezidi identity, fearing retribution from ISIS affiliates. The international community’s inaction has left many in limbo, with no coordinated rescue efforts.
Yet, Yezidi women have taken the lead in seeking justice. Their testimonies have been pivotal in securing convictions, particularly in Europe. In 2021, Germany achieved a historic first, convicting ISIS member Taha Al J. of genocide for enslaving a Yezidi woman and her five-year-old daughter, leading to the child’s death. By 2024, Germany had secured three genocide convictions against ISIS members. In December 2024, a Dutch court sentenced Hasna A. to ten years for the enslavement of a Yezidi woman, a verdict hailed by Yazda’s Natia Navrouzov as progress, though she noted only ten convictions have been achieved globally in a decade.
In Iraq, justice moves slower. The 2021 Yezidi Survivors Law promises reparations, including financial compensation, land, and rehabilitation, but implementation is sluggish. Human Rights Watch reports that survivors face harassment and stigma when filing complaints, and no ISIS members have been tried in Iraqi courts for sexual violence or genocide. Political tensions between the Iraqi government and the Kurdistan Regional Government hinder reconstruction in Sinjar, leaving the region unstable and many Yezidis displaced in camps, unable to return home.
A Legacy of Courage and Advocacy
Despite these challenges, Yezidi women are not just surviving—they’re leading. Survivors like Nadia Murad work with organizations such as Nadia’s Initiative and the Free Yezidi Foundation to advocate for accountability, rebuild Sinjar, and provide psychosocial support. Their efforts have inspired global action, from the UN Investigative Team (UNITAD) gathering evidence to legislative measures like the Yezidi Survivors Law. Programs like Women for Women International’s Stronger Women, Stronger Nations have empowered 24,726 women in Iraq, including many Yezidi survivors, through financial independence and rights education.
The Yezidi women of Sinjar are a beacon of hope, turning their trauma into a force for change. Their fight for justice continues, a powerful reminder that even in the darkest times, resilience can light the way forward.