Yezidis trace their history in Armenia back for centuries. The largest religious minority in the country, there are an estimated 35,000 Yezidis living in Armenia today, or just over one percent of the population. Yezidis say they feel at home in Armenia—the country is host to the largest Yezidi temple outside of Iraq. But the community has failed to assimilate in some ways. For instance, in Yezidi families, girls are rarely encouraged to stay in school. Families prioritize work over education, and even when girls can graduate from school, communities tend to shun young women who go to university. 

Two young Yezidi women, Zemfira Kalashyan and Zarine Smoyan, have proved that the future can be different, however. They have both paved a new path for themselves, overcoming tradition and fear of rejection to build a better life. 

Zemfira Kalashyan, 26, a Yezidi who was born and raised in the Armenian capital Yerevan, realized the importance of education when she was still in school.   She is the only girl in her family who has received an education.

After university, Zemfira helped Yezidi children, especially girls, through her work at Teach for Armenia Educational Foundation. She worked as a mentor for a program run by the Ministry of Education and Science with the support of UNICEF. She was a teacher of  inclusive education in Ferik, a Yezidi community in Armavir region. 

She also helped open a cultural center in Ferik to provide alternative education opportunities for children. More recently Zemfira worked as a teacher trainer and mentor. 

This article was prepared with support from the Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung (FES) South Caucasus Regional Office. All opinions expressed are the author’s alone, and do not necessarily reflect the views of FES or Chai Khana.