Shelters for Women in Iraq

Since the death of her husband at the hands of ISIS four years ago, Hayat* and her child have lived with her brother and his wife in Western Iraq. When Hayat’s brother began physically abusing her after she refused to marry a 65-year-old man, a local leader reached out to the Organization of Women’s Freedom in Iraq (OWFI) to request their intervention. Thanks to your generous support, OWFI was able to welcome Hayat and her child into their safe house for two weeks where they received food, clothing, medical attention, and psychosocial support. 

During Hayat’s stay at the safe house, her brother reached out to OWFI, expressing regrets about his behavior and asking for his sister’s forgiveness. Following OWFI’s mediation, Hayat voluntarily agreed to return to her brother, who was required to sign a pledge, in the presence of witnesses, stating that he will care for and support his sister, as well as protect her from any violence. Hayat extended her deep gratitude for OWFI before she rejoined her brother’s household, sharing, “I thank you from the bottom of my heart for giving me and my child a place to stay and providing us with everything we needed. I felt like home here - the care and love [OWFI] showed us is something that I had not received from the people closest to me.”

We are proud to share that pledges such as the one OWFI facilitated between Hayat and her brother have proven effective in holding families accountable: not a single incident has been reported within families who have signed the pledge. With your ongoing support, OWFI can continue to improve the lives of women, like Hayat, and their families! 

*Name has been changed to respect the privacy of the individual.