Yazidi Women in Displacement in Northern Iraq: Gendered Realities and their Impact on Mental Health

Abstract

This study explores how gendered realities affect the mental health of Yazidi women, currently displaced in Northern Iraq. The aim is to identify positive and negative gender practices, explore their impact on mental health outcomes, and situate them in the cultural and socio-political context of the Yazidi community. The study adopts a mixed methods research design, combining the results of a quantitative survey conducted through a door-to-door assessment of Yazidi women living in two camps (N = 204) and semi-structured interviews (N = 13). The findings reveal that gendered social control has a profound impact on Yazidi women’s mental health by undermining their need for agency and freedom, preventing them from participating in beneficial activities and pursuing goals, and sometimes causing conflicts with their families. Gendered division of labor, confining many women to the household, contributes to experiences of monotony, social isolation, and physical exhaustion. In spite of gender-specific constraints and the displacement setting, women from the Yazidi community rely on diverse sources for well-being. This includes community-based resources like friendships and neighborhood groups, traditional and religious practices, and some individual activities. The results are situated within the framework of traditional customs and norms, as well as within the socio-political context of post-conflict and displacement. The critique of depicting Yazidi women as a homogeneous group and the significance of recognizing the diversity of their gendered experiences are highlighted.