WOMEN FRIENDLY SPACES

In the crowded shelters of the Rohingya refugee camps, opportunities for women to gather are rare. Shelter space is already tight, and conditions are often unsafe and uncomfortable among the largely male-dominated sidewalks and tea stalls. To give women a place of their own, FIVDB operates five Women Friendly Spaces in Camp 14. Each WFS is attended by a field supervisor who plays games, offers confidential counseling and provides a listening ear. The WFS serve as meeting spaces for classes, sharing news and, most of all, a reprieve from the long monotony that is their new lives in the camp. Women can come to the WFS at any time during the day and receive confidential counseling and referrals to emergency and support services. Though conditions in the camps remain bleak, FIVDB’s women friendly spaces provide moments of resilience, community and solidarity on the path to healing and justice.