In the summer of 2014, during the genocide against the Yazidi people, Ghazal was abducted and taken by ISIS to a village near Tal Afar. On a cold December night, she made a daring attempt to escape. But exhaustion and the bitter winter cut her journey short, and nearby villagers buried her where she fell – without a grave marker.
After more than a year of determined work, Nadia’s Initiative secured the approvals needed to exhume her remains.
Read MoreEleven years after ISIS brought genocide to Kocho, Nadia Murad returns to Iraq to lay her brothers to rest.
Read her powerful reflection on the moment from TIME.
Read MoreOn August 3, Yazidis gather in Sinjar and around the world to commemorate the 11th anniversary of the Yazidi Genocide – one of the most brutal atrocities of our time. Nadia’s Initiative joins the Yazidi community in honoring the victims, stands in solidarity with survivors, and calls on the international community to meet their resilience with meaningful action. Read our full statement here.
Read MoreWhen ISIS stormed Sinjar in August 2014, Sari’s husband vanished. Pregnant and clinging to her five terrified children, she was taken into captivity. Over the next three years, she endured the death of her newborn son, enslavement, and unimaginable brutality. When Sari finally escaped, she and her children spent another three years in a displacement camp – alone, exhausted, and fighting each day to survive. And when she returned home to Sinjar, there was no home left. Only ruins, silence, and darkness. Still, she rose. Sari’s story is not just one of survival. It is a testimony to the strength of Yazidi women and the unbreakable power of motherhood.
Read MoreNadia’s Initiative is deeply alarmed by the recent forced deportation of a Yazidi family from Germany to Iraq, which was carried out despite an active court order halting their removal. The Potsdam Administrative Court had issued a binding decision (VG 16 L 845/25.A) granting suspensive effect to the family’s asylum appeal, recognizing serious legal doubts about the deportation and ruling that the family must not be removed. Nevertheless, German authorities proceeded with the deportation in violation of this order.
Read MoreOn the International Day for the Elimination of Sexual Violence in Conflict, we remember that behind every statistic on CRSV is a story. This is the story of Rihan – one marked by captivity, loss, survival, and strength.
Read MoreAfter the trauma of the genocide, a powerful transformation is underway in Sinjar. At the Women’s Center, a new generation of women and girls is coming together through sport – building confidence, connection, and resilience.
Read MoreIn 2014, ISIS decimated Sinjar’s farms – cutting off Yazidi families from their land, their livelihoods, and their hope. Today, survivors and returnees are reclaiming what was taken from them.
Read MoreNadia’s Initiative was honored to welcome H.E. Mrs. Isabelle Rome, the French Ambassador-at-Large for Human Rights, and Consul General Jean-Christophe Augé during their recent visit to Sinjar, where they toured the Yazidi Genocide Memorial and NI’s Women’s Center.
Read More“We can’t change the past, but we can build the future.”
In the aftermath of genocide and conflict, rebuilding is about more than just bricks and mortar – it’s about restoring dignity, security, and opportunity. In Al-Qataniya, a Yazidi-majority sub-district in Ba’aj, Ninewa, Nadia’s Initiative (NI) and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), with funding from the Government of Japan, have taken a critical step toward this goal.
Read MoreThe colors of life adorn our New Year, just as they once adorned the Earth on the day of its creation. Each colored egg carries the meaning of creation, hope, and the continuity of life. The Yazidi New Year is not just a celebration, but a vow of love, unity, and renewal. Every ritual we perform is a renewed promise of our resilience and the deep roots we hold in this land. A new year begins in Sinjar, where faith is reborn in our hearts.
Read MoreRecently, 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.
Read MoreFor more than seven years, Nadia’s Initiative has supported Yazidi genocide survivors by centering their voices and advancing justice, recovery, and healing. In 2024, after receiving advocacy training from NI, Yazidi families met with Iraqi officials in Baghdad to voice their demands about their missing loved ones. Their testimonies led to new exhumation efforts, and with NI’s support on the ground, over a dozen mass and individual graves were uncovered in early 2025, representing an important step toward truth, dignity, and closure for families of the victims.
Read MoreThe 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.
Read More“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.”
Read MoreThis International Women’s Day, we honor the resilience, strength, and leadership of Yazidi women. For years, Nadia’s Initiative has worked to empower women to rebuild and reclaim their futures – and today, they are leading businesses, managing projects, and shaping their communities. Their courage in the face of adversity has not only transformed their own lives but has also inspired global action. Their determination reminds us that true progress is only possible when women have the resources and opportunities to lead.
Read MoreIn 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.
Read MoreTomorrow, February 22, 2025, the remains of 32 victims of the 2014 Yazidi genocide will be handed over to their families. This day marks the painful return of lives lost simply for being Yazidis. The perpetrators aimed to erase the Yazidi identity, and this moment represents over a decade of suffering for their families, many of whom still do not know the fate of their loved ones.
Read MoreTo 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.
Read MoreToday, a team from the Iraqi Directorate of Mass Graves Affairs began the critical work of exhuming mass graves of Yazidi genocide victims in Sinjar City. This essential step is critical to uncovering the fate of innocent individuals who suffered and died as a result of some of the most heinous crimes against humanity in recent memory.
We stand in solidarity with the families who are desperately seeking answers–answers that will bring them peace of mind and restore the dignity of their loved ones.
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