WUNRN
Direct Link to Full 32-Page 2015 UNFPA Report:
WHAT ARE WOMEN & GIRLS SAFE SPACES?
A safe space is a formal or informal
place where women and girls feel physically and
emotionally safe. The term ‘safe,’ in
the present context, refers to the absence of trauma,
excessive stress, violence (or fear of
violence), or abuse2. It is a space where women
and girls, being the intended
beneficiaries, feel comfortable and enjoy the freedom to
express themselves without the fear of
judgment or harm.
The key objectives of a safe space are
to provide an area where women and girls can:
• Socialize and re-build their social
networks;
• Receive social support;
• Acquire contextually relevant skills;
• Access safe and non-stigmatizing
multi-sectorial GBV response services
(psychosocial, legal, medical);
• Receive information on issues relating
to women’s rights, health, and services3.
These spaces may take different names
such as women centers, women community
centers, or listening and counseling
centers, to name a few. Women safe spaces are not
the same as shelters or safe spaces at reception centers or one-stop centers.