Life After Genocide: Yezidi Women Gain Improved Agencies and Marketable Skills
Kafia is a displaced Yezidi woman from Sinjar who now works as a Livelihoods Officer at the Free Yezidi Foundation, where she provides training to female artisans and oversees the development of FYF’s artisanal product lines. Kafia emphasizes the importance of investing in the self-reliance and resilience of Yezidi women in the aftermath of genocide:
“From a young age, I was talented at creating unique handmade products through my skills in knitting and crocheting, but like most Yezidi women who had few opportunities to earn an income from their skills, there were no avenues for me to develop mine. I am delighted that through my work as a Livelihoods Officer at FYF, I am able to hone my skills and make new creative products on a daily basis, while empowering other Yezidi women to do the same. I am able to teach and train other Yezidi women to create handmade items and earn an income through FYF’s Chonky Animals® product line.
FYF has greatly contributed to improving our lives, as it provides us with a safe and supportive environment, which is invaluable to fostering creativity and self-reliance. I believe that women in general, and Yezidi women in particular, should be given more opportunities to improve their self-reliance and resilience, as they can play an important role in inspiring other women and girls to be strong and build better futures.”
