Partner: UNFPA
Year of Implementation: 2017-2019
Safe Spaces project was funded by the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), Sanad was established as a safe space for supporting Syrian female refugees in El Haram and New Damietta as the estimated number of Syrian refugees in Egypt is approximately 500,000, around 120,000 of whom are registered with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR). Most of them live in certain areas such as 6th of October City, El Haram, 10th of Ramadan and New Damietta.
Sanad targeted female refugees especially Syrian. They have limited places to meet as public places are often overcrowded with men. They also have household chores like cooking and childcare at home that prove main obstacles to their chance to go out. The creation of safe spaces is therefore intended for women to encourage freedom of expression away from responsibilities and presence of men.
The main objective of Sanad, like other safe spaces, was to provide a safety zone for Syrian female refugees to help them assimilate into society, to provide them with medical and psychological support, and to equip them with various skills within that context. To that end, the following three main programs were implemented:
- Psychosocial Support Services (PSS) to gender based violence survivors
- The Vocational Rehabilitation
- Reproductive health and gender based violence raising awareness and outreach