The Diplomatic Committee of the Ezidi Free Women’s Movement (TAJÊ) has issued an urgent appeal to the Iraqi President and key international bodies, calling for the identification of 19 Ezidi women burned alive by ISIS in Mosul in 2016. The movement is also demanding that the atrocity be officially recognized as an act of feminicide.
Having more educated and well-established individuals benefits all Ezidis (mlete Ezdia) across the world. With more empowered Ezidis, we stand a better chance of protecting ourselves, having our voices heard internationally, and perhaps even achieving our collective dream of rebuilding our ancestral homeland, Ezdixan. But we cannot achieve this by relying solely on men. We need both male and female Ezidis who are educated, respected, and hold high-level positions. That is the path to true success and prosperity. Forcing girls into early marriages solely to bear children—children who, due to a lack of access to proper education and career development, are unlikely to become strong contributors to our society—while expecting men to shoulder all the burden, is naïve. Just look at any successful nation: observe how their women equally contribute to solving collective problems. See how strong and prosperous those societies are.
Ezidis who fled Turkey’s Batman province in the 1990s due to conflict are facing new obstacles as they attempt to reclaim their ancestral land. Despite court rulings in their favor, their property in Kuşçukuru (Kelhok) village has yet to be returned.