WHO WE ARE
Action for Women is an Athens-based women’s rights organisation with an all-women team and management supporting refugee and asylum-seeking women’s recovery, resilience and re-integration.
OUR VISION
Working towards a brighter tomorrow for and with women displaced by violence, conflict, and persecution.
Out of the 79.5 million people who have been forcefully displaced, the UNHCR reports that over half are women and girls. 1 in 5 women refugees experience gender-based violence. Lockdowns due to Covid19 compounded the risk, triggering what the UN Secretary-General has called a “shadow pandemic”. Domestic violence spiked where many women were trapped with their perpetrators, and economic uncertainty exacerbated their risk of trafficking and sexual exploitation.
In Athens, services for GBV survivors are few, and scattered throughout the city, often lacking female interpreters. Navigating these services without support is often re-traumatising. Dignified and safe shelters remain scarce and the shelters that do exist do not offer wrap-around services to equip women with the skills, knowledge and networks to generate an income and become autonomous. As a result, they can create a cycle of dependency in which residents are provided a sense of temporary safety without being equipped to take control of their lives.
With the increase in GBV cases resulting from the lockdown, and the lack of a holistic model for women at risk and survivors of GBV, our current campaign, The Pomegranate Project, is both necessary and life-saving.
The Pomegranate Project
BY ACTION FOR WOMEN
3,956
hours of Greek & IT Literacy classes provided
887
women have enrolled in The Pomegranate Project
98%
of shelter residents have found jobs and are earning stable income
4,160
hours of case management and accompaniments to public services
Be a part of the change. Make an impact today.
With your support, together we can reach more refugee and asylum-seeking women and provide safe access to a range of services for their recovery, resilience and re-integration.
How does my money make an impact?
20€
funds a month worth of hygiene products for a woman and her child.
100€
funds access to four therapy sessions.
150€
funds a month of electricity and hot water for the shelter.
250€
funds a week of interpreters (French and Farsi) for participants to build community and access services.
500€
funds qualified Greek teachers to provide a month’s worth of regular classes.
1000€
will help cover rent for the shelter for a month.