About this talk
THIS TALK CONTAINS MATURE CONTENT.
Through her work as a criminal investigator, Rabiaa El Garani facilitates healing and seeks justice for survivors of sexual abuse and violence in conflicted areas of the world. As Rabiaa explains, “For me it has been the experience of a lifetime to work with these survivors, because I share their sorrow, their language and their culture. We connect on the deepest human level—this itself is an act of healing—to be heard, to be seen, to be given compassion instead of condemnation.”
Rabiaa has worked to make important advances in changing societal attitudes toward the survivors, so in some instances instead of facing shame, rejection and honor killing as a result of the sexual violence they have experienced, survivors are treated as victims and embraced by their former communities. This shift has been lifesaving, empowering some survivors to dare to escape captivity and return to their families and homes. Watch Rabiaa’s 2018 TEDMED Talk, “Hope and justice for women who’ve survived ISIS” to learn more about her important work.
About Rabiaa El Garani
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Rabiaa El Garani is a highly experienced police investigator specializing in Sexual and Gender-Based Violence (SGBV). She has a distinguished career working for international organizations to investigate and document war crimes and human rights abuses. Rabiaa has been deployed to some of the world’s most dangerous regions, including the Central African Republic, Syria, and Iraq, to collect evidence of SGBV. Her unique interview techniques are known for helping victims feel safe enough to share their stories, which is crucial for building legal cases against perpetrators. For example, she was able to document distinct patterns of abuse carried out by ISIS, providing essential evidence for future prosecutions. She is a senior investigator for the International Impartial Independent Mechanism for Syria (IIIM). In this role, she continues to collect evidence of serious international crimes committed during the Syrian conflict. She is also part of the Justice Rapid Response-UN Women SGBV Justice Experts Roster, a group of experts who can be quickly deployed to help with investigations around the world. Her work is vital for ensuring that those who commit these heinous crimes are held accountable.
