Jannat Al Ghezi

Ms. Jannat Al Ghezi and the Organization of Women’s Freedom in Iraq (OFWI) take daily risks to help women escape violence and even death throughout Iraq by offering them shelter, training, protection, and legal services. OFWI has helped over 500 victims of rape or domestic abuse; Jannat’s role has been to coordinate the network of shelters for battered women. These shelters have been particularly helpful to countless Yazidi and other women from the Mosul area who suffered horribly under the brutal ISIL occupation of the area. Without help, many of these women would have ended up on the streets, subjected to human trafficking and threats of honor killing. OFWI provides these women the chance to have new lives by offering education and practical skills like sewing. Jannat understands how important this is because she was once a victim of domestic abuse and subjected to threats from her tribal family. OFWI helped her gain a new life when it encouraged her to complete her studies and follow her passion to help other women in need. She currently manages media relations at OFWI and serves as the editor of the Organization’s newspaper, Equality. For two years, she was the manager of Equality Radio. Through OFWI, Jannat has also assisted women stranded in life-threatening situations by divorce, abandonment, and abuse from their spouses, many of whom did not have access to their travel documents because they were retained by their spouses. Some of these women were also U.S. citizens living in Iraq. Jannat made herself available to shelter these women 24/ and she is willing to go wherever she is needed to help, no matter how dangerous. She is motivated by her wish that all women in Iraq who are victims of violence have their human rights protected.