With International Women's Day on March 8th, this is the perfect time to reflect on the achievements of women throughout history while also shining a light on those who continue to struggle. Women and girls fleeing conflict, persecution, and violence often carry the weight of their circumstances alone, navigating unfamiliar systems in search of safety and opportunity. Let’s stand together and celebrate their strength, resilience, and potential. Our work aims to provide them with not just immediate assistance, but also the skills and confidence they need to thrive in their new lives.

Our Project

Bristol Refugee Rights has been a consistent ally for people seeking sanctuary refugees in our city, providing vital support, resources, and a sense of belonging. We identified a significant need for women’s health education in our community. Our objective is to empower women to make informed and independent choices regarding family planning and their health. Women face numerous barriers to access culturally appropriate healthcare, like language, poor health record keeping and conservative cultures. Many of the women we support have no formal education and subsequently little knowledge of their own bodies, how to prevent pregnancy or access health care for female-related health care issues.  Our project will remove these barriers by providing accessible information, bringing services directly to women in their neighbourhoods.

Discussions include and challenge harmful cultural practices such as FGM, breast ironing and child marriage, as well as tackling myths.

Sessions are held in confidential and female-only spaces, with interpreters, and designed by staff with lived experience so that they’re culturally sensitive. We have had a huge impact with this project so far;

Help us continue this work

However, we currently have fixed term funding. We have secured half the funding we need for this project, in order to secure the other half, we need a collaborative effort. Your contributions will directly support crucial initiatives including 6 educational workshops, 6 informal sessions working with partners across the region focusing on black women's health, mental health support, and community-building activities specifically designed for refugee women and girls. Together, we can create a brighter future for these resilient individuals and help them reclaim their stories.

Thank you

By donating to our campaign this March, you will be making a tangible difference in the lives of women and girls in the Bristol refugee community. Together, we can empower the next generation of women across Bristol.