Building awareness and agency among young women returnees from Iraq
Building awareness and agency among young women returnees from Iraq
Building awareness and
agency
among young women returnees from Iraq
Location
Kyrgyzstan
Focus
Reintegration
IMplemented by
SOS Children’s Villages
Targeted psychosocial and life skills support is helping a young woman repatriated from Iraq strengthen her understanding of rights, build trust, and plan for a more stable future for herself and her family.
At 19, “Aida” (pseudonym) returned to Kyrgyzstan with her siblings after several years in Iraq. She now lives with her maternal grandmother, who serves as her guardian.
Divorced and raising a three-year-old daughter on her own, Aida was married at just 15, a decision made by her family rather than her own choice. She returned home with limited independence and little experience of making decisions about her own life. Her mother remains in detention in Iraq.
I understood for the first time how often my rights were ignored. I did not know this before”.
— Aida, Kyrgyz returnee woman from Iraq
When Aida joined the SOS Children’s Villages programme, she showed low self-confidence and limited awareness of her rights, and was reluctant to engage with specialists. She was initially withdrawn during activities, hesitant to take part in discussions.
Over time, she began to open up. She grew more engaged in sessions, showed a clearer understanding of her rights and personal boundaries, and started thinking about longer-term goals for herself.
She also spoke of a strong commitment to her younger siblings, particularly to helping them stay in school:
I want my sister and brother to continue school and have more opportunities than I had.”
— Aida, Kyrgyz returnee woman from Iraq