Hope and justice for women who've survived ISIS

[This talk contains mature content.]

When I was 14,

my parents intended to marry me off
to a man of their choosing.

I refused.

That choice to defy my family

shaped everything in my life

and set me on the path
to become who I am today.

But it was very painful at times,
and continues to be so.

My parents were raised in traditional,
uneducated Moroccan families

where a girl's main value
is measured by her virginity.

They emigrated to Belgium,

and I was born, raised and educated there.

I did not accept their view of the world.

When I said no to them,

I paid for it dearly in terms of
physical and emotional abuse,

but eventually I escaped from their home

and became a federal police detective

who could help protect
the rights of others.

My specialty was investigating
cases in counterterrorism,

child abduction and homicide.

I loved that work,

and it was extremely fulfilling.

With my Muslim background,
Arabic language skills,

and an interest
in working internationally,

I decided to seek new challenges.

After decades of being a police officer,

I was recruited to become an investigator
of sexual and gender-based violence

as a member of the Justice Rapid Response
and UN Women roster.

Justice Rapid Response is an organization

for criminal investigations
of mass atrocities.

They run on both public
and private funding

and provide evidence and reports
to more than 100 participating countries.

Many countries in conflict
are often unable to provide a just process

to those who have been
victims of mass violence.

To respond to that,

Justice Rapid Response was created
in partnership with UN Women.

Together,

Justice Rapid Response and UN Women
recruited, trained and certified

more than 250 professionals

with a specific expertise
in sexual and gender-based violence,

like me.

Our investigations are carried out
under international law

and our findings eventually
become evidence

to prosecute war criminals.

This mechanism provides hope to victims

that justice and accountability
may someday be found

in the wake of war and conflict.

Let me tell you about the most
challenging work I have ever done.

This was in Iraq.

Since the rise of the Islamic State
of Iraq and Syria, or ISIS,

this group has systematically
attacked and tortured

many religious minorities and ethnicities,

such as the Christians,

the Shi'a Turkmen, Shi'a Muslims,
Shi'a Shabaks, and the Yazidis.

The persecution of the Yazidis
has been especially horrific.

On the 3rd and 15th of August 2014,

ISIS attacked approximately
20 villages and towns

in Sinjar, Iraq.

They executed all the males
over the age of 14,

including the elderly and disabled.

They divided up the women and girls,

raped them,

and sold them into sexual
and domestic slavery.

One month later,

a UN Human Rights Council resolution
led to the fact-finding mission on Iraq

to investigate and document
alleged violations and abuses

committed by ISIS and associated groups.

I was sent to investigate the atrocities
committed against the Yazidis,

with a focus on sexual
and gender-based crimes.

The Yazidis are a Kurdish-speaking
ethno-religious community

based in northern Iraq.

Their belief system incorporates
aspects of Judaism, Christianity,

Islam, and Zoroastrianism.

For hundreds of years,

Muslims and Christians
who do not understand their beliefs

have condemned the Yazidis
as devil-worshippers.

ISIS thought of them in this way
and vowed to destroy them.

OK, let's do an experimental thought here.

I want you to think about
your worst sexual experience

and recall it in detail.

Now turn to the person to your right

and describe that experience.

(Laughter)

I know it's difficult, eh?

(Laughter)

But of course I wouldn't
expect you to do that.

You would all be uncomfortable
and embarrassed.

And so imagine an 11-year old girl
in the Middle East

who was not educated about sexuality,

who was taken from her comfort zone,

her family,

who witnessed the execution
of her father and brothers,

having to describe in detail
the rape that she faced in a culture

where talking about sexuality is taboo.

Her only way of recovering her honor

is to hide the crime,

believe she was married against her will,

or deny the events out of shame
and fear of being rejected.