Investigating ISIL’s Gender-Based Crimes and Crimes Against Children

A field practitioner’s perspective followed by a Virtual Reality and immersive experience remembering the genocide

A lot has been written about Gender-based Crime and Crimes Against Children Committed by ISIL/Daesh against the Yazidis and other religious minorities in Iraq.

We are lucky to have an Associate Rule of Law Officer with the Gender and Children Unit of the United Nations Investigative Team to Promote Accountability for Crimes Committed by Da’esh ISIL (UNITAD), who will speak to us about this subject.

Vian Darwish has conducted investigations of sexual and gender-based crimes and crimes against children committed by ISIL against members of different religious communities. Her work has included gathering evidence of rape, sexual enslavement and forced marriage of girls and women as well as ISIL’s use of children, primarily boys, as child soldiers.

Prior to joining UNITAD, she worked for a number of civil society organisations including the leading NGO Yazda, where she conducted interviews with Yazidi women and girls who were sexually enslaved. At Yazda she also served as the coordinator of the Yazidi Survivors Network. She graduated from the University of Duhok with a bachelor’s degree in English.

Ryan D'Souza is Director / Founder of Nobody’s Listening, a ground-breaking virtual reality experience and immersive exhibition to remember the genocide by ISIS. He will reflect on his experiences working on the campaign to establish UNITAD, working for the investigative team and the situation today, including civil society's advocacy efforts to advance justice and prevent future atrocities.

Following the presentation, participants will have the opportunity to experience for themselves the virtual reality experience and immersive exhibition, kindly brought to you by Nobody’s Listening.

The event will be held in T603 (Boardroom) in the City Law School.

If you would like to register to attend this event, please email clcj@city.ac.uk.