How Beauty Salons Help Women Of Mosul Overcome The Trauma Of IS Rule

Going to a hair salon might not seem like much of an experience to some, but to women who have survived three years of the IS rule of terror in Mosul, it is the only place where they can de-compress in the company of other women, and feel safe enough to do so.

The war with IS has not only destroyed the cities like Mosul, it has also left thousands of people severely traumatised. There are not enough psychologists in Iraq, and people have to seek other ways to relax and talk about their trauma.

The salon chair transformed under the militants’ control, Hanen says. Before IS, chat between hairdresser and customer was full of complaints about everyday life and family. During the occupation, conversation was fearful and stilted. And now, the chair is a place of sometimes heartbreaking honesty as women share their stories, of their losses, of forced marriages, of trauma.