When conflict drags on for years, when families are uprooted again and again, and when daily life is overshadowed by constant violence, women and girls often carry the heaviest burden. In these fragile settings, Women and Girls’ Safe Spaces (WGSS) become more than just rooms or buildings: they are places of refuge, healing and hope.

Funded by Irish Aid through the EMPOWER! programme, these safe spaces are supporting women and girls affected by conflict and displacement across Somalia, South Sudan, the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and Syria, offering protection, dignity and pathways to recovery.

A place to be heard and believed

In Vuhovi Health Centre in North Kivu, the WGSS supported by the EMPOWER! programme is a small, private room tucked inside the compound. It may look modest, but for women who walk through its door, it represents safety. 

Here, women are listened to without judgment. Psychosocial assistants volunteer their time to provide therapy sessions, both one-on-one and in groups. Widows, often isolated and vulnerable, find solidarity, while girls experiencing abuse know they can come here and be heard and supported. 

Because the WGSS is located within the health centre, survivors needing medical care can be referred quickly and discreetly. The programme’s strong engagement with community leaders and local authorities has also increased early reporting of cases. That trust saves lives: early reporting means women and girls can access medical and psychosocial support sooner, reducing long‑term harm. 

Rebuilding lives in displacement

In the Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) camps in Northwest Syria, where government services have collapsed, and families rely almost entirely on humanitarian aid, WGSS are lifelines. 

Run by World Vision in partnership with local organisation Shafak, these centres combine counselling with practical support such as literacy classes, vocational training and financial‑skills development. For women who have endured violence, the WGSS is a place to rebuild. 

In 2025 alone, nearly 3,000 cases of gender-based violence and child protection were supported across the three EMPOWER!‑funded WGSS in northwest Syria. Survivors received medical care, legal assistance and, in some cases, emergency shelter. In a context of prolonged displacement and insecurity, these services provide not only protection, but dignity and agency.

Healing, cohesion and peacebuilding

In South Sudan, WGSS funded through EMPOWER! tell a similar story. More than 1,000 women and girls received structured psychosocial support in 2025, helping survivors recover and reintegrate into their communities.

The spaces also host informal “tea talks”, offering opportunities for women to meet, talk and support one another. In a highly multicultural and mobile society, these safe, welcoming spaces play an important role in strengthening social cohesion and peacebuilding, helping women build trust across communities affected by repeated displacement and conflict.

When you step into a WGSS, you see more than survivors. You see women learning new skills, girls laughing together, and communities beginning to change. These spaces are not just about survival; they are about possibility. 

In protracted crises, where despair can feel endless, WGSS remind us that change is possible. They are proof that even in the darkest times, dignity can be restored, resilience can grow, and hope can flourish.