Farida Khalaf is a survivor, human rights activist, co-author of “the Girl who Beat ISIS,” and President of Farida Global Organization. Here is her longer statement, a shortened extract of which features in the second C4JR YSL Newsletter.
“The Yazidi [Female] Survivors Law (YSL) represents a significant legislative milestone, marking a historic turning point and symbolizing the initial important steps towards seeking justice.
The implementation of the YSL has been initiated in Iraq, resulting in the commencement of substantial financial reparations for many of survivors who have been impacted by genocide and Conflict Related Sexual Violence. This includes various communities such as the Yazidi, Christian, Turkmen, and Shabak. However, financial reparations alone are insufficient; we aim for the YSL’s implementation to go beyond monetary compensation. It should embody an unwavering pursuit of justice for both survivors and their communities by bringing perpetrators accountable for the crimes they committed and the guarantee of non-repetition of the Genocide.
Reparations under the law are to be available and accessible not only to survivors inside Iraq but also for those who live outside Iraq. Currently, our Farida Global Team is closely collaborating with the Iraqi and Kurdistan Regional Governments to develop dual solutions that would facilitate access to reparation programs under the YSL for survivors residing in Germany, Canada, Australia, and France. As the president of a survivor-led organization, I commend the efforts of the Iraqi Directorate for Survivors Affairs (IDSA) and the Committee in engaging with survivors residing outside Iraq. We hope that practical solutions will soon emerge, enabling survivors to access the rights entitled under the YSL, regardless of the location of survivors like myself.”
