The number of people in need of international protection continues to rise. According to the European Commission, there are currently 120 million people displaced around the world. Although three quarters of refugees hail from five countries (Syria, Yemen, Afghanistan, Sudan and Ukraine), refugees and asylum seekers must not be treated as one entity and cultural nuances must be integrated into any community building activities. The same approach applies to gender! Women and children’s spaces aim to offer a gendered lens to issues arising from displacement by addressing gender-specific protection concerns.

“No matter how many years you live here, you will remain a foreigner” Fatema, visitor to the Victoria Community Centre* In Greece, racial profiling has become an entrenched issue that deeply impacts the lives of people on the move. For refugees and asylum seekers, a simple walk in Athens can quickly turn into a distressing encounter with law enforcement.