Shelters for Women in Iraq

Our partner, the Organization for Women’s Freedom in Iraq (OWFI), recently welcomed nearly 50 new and 10 returning participants to their counseling and peer support sessions at one of their Women’s Centers. Many of these women are survivors of terrible violence, including captivity by ISIS.

For these sessions, OWFI tried something new - and it worked. Usually, the sessions are a combination of trauma healing and reintegration. But this time, they split the sessions, focusing on each element in turn. This helped the women first confront the crises they had endured and also realize that their past experiences didn’t have to dictate their present and futures.

These two distinct sessions helped women separate their past from their future. The trauma healing sessions give survivors the opportunity to share their stories of trauma in a group setting and get support from specialized counselors. And the reintegration sessions created a space to talk about their fears and anxieties about the outside world. At these sessions, women learned social skills that will help them reintegrate back into their communities.

Women who had removed themselves from society for years following their traumatic experiences as ISIS captives have reported that, after attending OWFI’s sessions, they feel like they belong again. This new approach has enabled these sessions to breathe new life and possibility into survivors.

We’re always inspired by our thoughtful partners who adapt to provide the most useful and caring support to survivors. Thank you for making this vital work possible!