Born in 1971 in Mosul as the eldest of nine children, Dakhil’s journey into politics began after she worked as a biology professor at a local university. In the early 2000s, when many of her Yazidi students were affected by the civil conflict after Saddam Hussein’s regime fell, Dakhil stepped in to support them during this difficult time.
Vian Dakhil was first elected to Iraq’s Parliament in 2010 and re-elected later on the Kurdistan Democratic Party’s ticket. Since then, she has worked tirelessly to help tens of thousands of Yazidis who were affected by ISIS. Her main focus has been rescuing Yazidi girls and women who were kidnapped, enslaved, and sold at markets, which she describes as being like something from the “Middle Ages.”
“When something like this happens to the Yazidi people, it happens to all of us. We are family; we feel it as deeply as that. The sexual enslavement of Yazidi women is like public rape of our community,” says Vian.
Vian Dakhil is currently a Member of the Iraqi Parliament, representing the Yazidi community. She focuses mainly on advocating for Yazidi rights, continuing to fight for those who were abducted and are still missing. Additionally, she is committed to supporting Yazidi survivors, both in Sinjar and in displacement camps, and helping them reintegrate into society.
The information on this page was last updated on 12-03-2024 and was provided by the Luminary.
