Having difficulties in living on themselves, refugee women face various problems especially in terms of education, psychosocial support, language, health, cohesion, socialization and economy. One of the common problems they face in countries where they have to live as refugees is difficulty to establish a social relationship with families, relatives, neighbors and friends.

Since our establishment as WALD, we have been working determinedly to eliminate gender inequality and ensure women and men have equal rights and responsibilities in every aspect of life. We believe the importance of gender quality and strengthening the role of women in terms of sustainable development goals and apply this awareness in all our activities and practices.

In line with this, various events were held throughout the week in districts where we have Social Protection Desks. Participants from host community who are actually emigrants told their stories and gave a message the refugee women that “You Are Not Alone” in the event “You Are Not Alone” held in Bağcılar in order to raise social cohesion of women where they live in and ensure they do not feel lonely while getting all these processes through. Within March 8 World Women’s Day, the event “Happy and Free Women” was held with our Beylikdüzü Social Protection Desk counselees. 

In the event which was held in Beylikdüzü Municipality Women’s Solidarity Center, women cooked their local foods and introduced their tastes before the event.Within the scope of activities that we planned throughout the month for World Women’s Day, an awareness event on women health was organized in Sultangazi Municipality for refugee women.  The program was conducted with refugee women invited from Sultangazi and Gaziosmanpaşa Social Protection Desks.The event started with the reason and history of the World Women’s Day and continued with information about women’s rights and health.

In this event, guests were informed about physical, social and mental health of women and its importance for children and family life, negative effects of young marriages on women’s health, hygiene and family planning, women’s rights and institutions and organizations that women may apply to for these issues. Participant women wished a more democratic, peaceful, equal and fair world for everyone at the end of the program.