This study commissioned by UN Women examines gendered experiences of arbitrary detention in Al-Hol refugee camp in northeastern Syria and interrogates core assumptions of women’s alleged links or family ties to ISIL/Da’esh. Since 2016, Al-Hol has been a site of prolonged arbitrary detention for tens of thousands of Syrians, Iraqis, and third-country nationals who were detained following the fall of ISIL/Da’esh. Drawing on surveys of 1,440 Syrian and Iraqi households living in Al-Hol, oral histories and interviews with men and women living in Al-Hol and Iraqi returnees, and stakeholders consultations, the report documents diverse and under-researched forms of gendered experiences in Al-Hol, including layered forms of gender-based violence (e.g., forced marriage, intimate partner violence, sexual harassment), unequal access to economic opportunities, and experiences of stigmatization shaping individual prospects for return and reintegration. The authors present evidence in support of a human rights-based, gender-responsive policy and programmatic approach to addressing the situation of indefinite mass arbitrary detention. The report also provides recommendations for Al-Hol Task Force and UN Country Teams (UNCTs) in Iraq and Syria for facilitating returns, repatriation efforts, and the meaningful inclusion of women in transitional justice and reintegration programmes.
2025