In 2014, Da’esh captured and controlled significant territory including Ninewa governorate, committing atrocities that resulted in the loss of lives and displacement of thousands of families. Men, women, and children were killed, tortured, or trafficked, among them, many young women suffered from oppression and violence. Those who survived sought refuge in safer regions of Iraq. Years after this brutal attack, some areas in Ninewa governorate remain affected by the deadly remnants of war and improvised explosive devices which threaten lives and prevent the safe and dignified return of people to their homes.
In response, the UNMAS programme in Iraq implemented an inclusive mine action approach, integrating the needs of all affected groups into the process. This includes the formation of Iraq's first gender-mixed search team, each member with a unique personal story. A key outcome has been a shift in the social environment of Sinjar, where men began supporting women in non-traditional roles, including mine action. This change was driven by the determination of women to secure their rights and actively contribute to rebuilding their communities. UNMAS documentary, "Recovering from Da’esh: Women at the Front Lines," sheds light on the resilience of two Iraqi women from Ninewa governorate working to ensure protection of their villages from explosive ordnance to create a safer environment for displaced people to return.
For more information about survivors of the Da'esh attack, see “My Sinjar Reflections”, a compilation of stories written by Yazidi survivors in the Sinjar District of Iraq, who have chosen to perform the dangerous task of clearing explosive ordnance from their communities.
Also, related to the topic of women working in mine action see the UNMAS production Safe Home, a six-episode online series following the journey of a young Iraqi woman named Ahlam, who works as a searcher with a demining NGO. As she clears dangerous lands of improvised explosive devices, she faces profound challenges not only in her work but also from her family and society.