Recently, survivors gathered at the Women’s Center in Sinjar to meet with representatives from the General Directorate for Survivors’ Affairs (GDSA), offering attendees a meaningful opportunity to be heard and to share their ongoing challenges. This session, organized by the NI team, reflects key components of the Center’s mission, ensuring that survivors are informed, empowered, and supported in claiming their legal rights – in this case, those guaranteed under the Yazidi Survivors Law.

The NI Women’s Center is the first of its kind in the region – a transformative space dedicated to empowering women and girls, including survivors of genocide and conflict-related sexual violence. It’s more than just a building – it’s a safe haven where women can heal, learn, and reclaim their futures.

Because when women thrive, entire communities thrive.

“On this International Women’s Day, we celebrate the women who have fought for change, often at great personal risk. Women who have broken barriers, challenged stereotypes, and paved the way for future generations. But we must also remember the women whose stories go untold—the women in rural villages, refugee camps, and war zones who fight for survival and dignity every single day.”

In Sinjar, girls and young women face significant barriers to leadership, physical activity, and access to safe spaces. Over the past year, Nadia’s Initiative has partnered with Free to Run to change that—empowering 300 adolescent girls and young women through running, leadership, and life skills. Using the NI Women’s Center as a key venue, the program created a safe environment for growth and connection, where participants built resilience, developed confidence, and redefined their futures.

To support families of genocide victims and the broader community, Nadia’s Initiative (NI) organized a consultative session at the NI Women’s Center, bringing together government representatives from four key directorates responsible for victims’ affairs.

Beyond providing holistic support to women and girls in the region, the Women’s Center serves as a key venue where the community can access essential resources and gain insight into pressing issues affecting their daily lives.

“I felt a sense of belonging and safety at the NI Women’s Center.”

Read the story of Naveen, a survivor and recent graduate of the salon training program implemented at the new Women’s Center in Sinjar.

Earlier this month, Nadia’s Initiative celebrated a significant milestone at the Women’s Center in Sinjar, hosting a graduation for the inaugural class of participants from the “Women’s Empowerment Through Education and Vocational Training” project. More than 120 women and girls successfully completed various courses at the Center, which opened earlier this year.

"Our living situation has improved greatly since receiving the interim reparations, as has my psychological state. I am now managing my business, and I feel happy when I realize that I can support my family and community through my business," Safia said.

Nadia’s Initiative works with women and survivors to develop survivor-centric projects that empower them to take ownership of their lives through the provision of skills training, livelihoods opportunities, financial support, education, legal aid, and mental and physical healthcare.

Nadia’s Initiative is working as a bridge between survivors and the General Directorate of Survivors Affairs (GDSA) in Iraq to ensure survivor-centered implementation of the Yazidi Survivors Law.

We are excited to announce that we are launching the construction of a Women's Sports Complex in South Sinjar's Wardiya complex. This recreational complex will include sports amenities, such as a mini-stadium, playground, and volleyball court, as well as dressing rooms and a café.

At this year’s Vienna Discussion Forum, Nadia Murad spoke about her experiences as a survivor, women's rights activist, and refugee, highlighting the need to address the root causes of gender-based violence and trafficking in migration, displacement, peacebuilding, and reconstruction.

Following a year of extensive research, outreach, and development of a holistic interim reparations project for Yazidi survivors of ISIS captivity, Nadia's Initiative and the Global Survivors Fund have completed distribution of financial reparations in Sinjar.

Nadia's Initiative is closing the gender gap and reducing the vulnerabilities of female farmers in Sinjar by providing them the resources and skills they need to thrive in the farming industry.

Nadia's Initiative recognizes that investing in women’s economic independence in Sinjar has far-reaching benefits for their families and the entire community. That's why we're continuously working to restore farmlands and agricultural infrastructure in Sinjar that ISIS destroyed.

Shelter support is one form of interim reparations included in Nadia’s Initiative and the Global Survivors Fund’s holistic and comprehensive survivors project that also provides interim reparations in the forms of cash, livelihoods, mental healthcare, physical healthcare, education, and legal aid.

Through NI’s women’s empowerment project for female farmers in Sinjar, Sevi received theoretical and practical trainings on sustainable farming techniques, as well as tools, equipment, and a greenhouse that will increase the efficiency and productivity of her farm.

During the 77th session of the United Nations General Assembly, Nadia Murad spoke at a high-level meeting marking the 30th anniversary of the Declaration of Minority Rights.

Many Yazidi survivors of ISIS captivity were trafficked to Mosul and other areas of Iraq, and returning to Mosul to seek reparations can reignite traumatic memories. That’s why Nadia’s Initiative and USAID prioritized opening the General Directorate of Survivors’ Affairs’ office in Sinjar.

Agricultural production is crucial to the Sinjar region's economy, and Yazidi women are an integral part of that output. Through our team's expert supervision, we have supported 35 female farmers and their families with essential training, tools, equipment, livestock, and supplies they need to develop sustainable farms and thrive.

Nadia's Initiative knows that many women like Waheeda in Sinjar and around the world are forced to balance caretaking duties with income-earning responsibilities. That's why we seek to empower women by helping them establish their own small businesses, so they can economically provide for their families, while having the flexibility to decide their own work demands.

Nadia’s Initiative’s project to provide 35 female-headed farming households with critical trainings, equipment, and supplies is well underway. Vulnerable women are receiving group theoretical trainings on sustainable farming techniques, as well as tailored practical trainings adapted to their needs and expertise.

Since the passing of the Yazidi Survivors Law in early 2021, Nadia’s Initiative has been working with the General Directorate of Survivors’ Affairs (GDSA) to ensure the expedited and survivor-centered implementation of the law. This past weekend, Nadia’s Initiative supported the official opening of the GDSA’s Sinjar office.

Eight years ago, the peaceful Yazidi community in Sinjar was confronted with an unspeakable evil that would forever change their lives. By empowering women, supporting survivors, facilitating the return of displaced persons, and holding perpetrators accountable, we seek to end the ongoing genocide against the Yazidi community.

As we commemorate International Day for the Elimination of Sexual Violence in Conflict, Nadia's Initiative is spotlighting the importance of supporting and empowering survivors of CRSV. With our partner, the Global Survivors Fund, we recently launched a comprehensive interim reparations project for Yazidi survivors of ISIS captivity in Sinjar and Duhok.

Nadia’s Initiative is supporting female farmers by launching a project to equip female-headed farming households with sustainable agricultural training and an array of tools, resources, and livestock, including greenhouses, solar panels, and sheep.

Women in conflict-affected regions are often underrepresented in both the community and the region's economy, which can result in their increased vulnerability and marginalization. As a component of our second women’s small business incubator, Nadia’s Initiative helped beneficiaries establish savings groups as a means of bringing women together to support each other.

Nadia’s Initiative conducts monthly community outreach workshops to offer Sinjar community members a chance to voice their concerns and provide their input on gaps in service provision.

“My children are now able to continue their education thanks to this small business. I can now support them and provide them with a better future.” Nadia's Initiative and implementing partner Mission East contacted Qaison to include her in their second women’s small business incubator and reestablish her livelihoods.