In celebration of this year’s International Women’s Day, we proudly hosted a community event honoring migrant and refugee women in Cyprus. “Celebrating Women, Celebrating Diversity” brought together more than 80 participants from diverse backgrounds for an afternoon of dialogue, cultural exchange, and community connection.
The event featured sewing, tailoring, and craft showcases, vibrant dancing and singing performances by Amina D and members of the Cameroonian and Filipino communities, and a rich selection of West African food. Alongside a presentation on the ELEVATE HERight project’s activities, results, and impact, we were especially honored to hear a participant from the project’s sewing and tailoring classes share her personal journey and the meaningful outcomes she gained through the program.
The event also featured a panel discussion titled “Pathways to Inclusion, Safety, and Participation for Migrant Women,” bringing together Zenaida Onoufriou from UNHCR Cyprus, Katerina Stephanou from Step Up Stop Slavery, Emilie Abigail Dellion, and Daphne Demetriou from Mediterranean Institute of Gender Studies. The discussion highlighted both the challenges and opportunities shaping migrant and refugee women’s access to safety, support services, and meaningful participation, while identifying practical pathways to strengthen gender based violence prevention and inclusive support systems in Cyprus.
A heartfelt thank you to everyone who joined and contributed to this meaningful celebration, from participants and performers to vendors, guest speakers, and panelists, as well as to Dance House Lefkosia for hosting us.
The event was co-organized by Generation for Change CY, Cyprus Family Planning Association, and Tap Seu Pouh, under the auspices of UNHCR Cyprus. It also served as the final conference of the ELEVATE HERight project, which focuses on preventing and addressing gender-based violence against migrant and refugee women through empowerment, awareness-raising, improved access to essential services, and community-building activities, including peer-to-peer sewing and tailoring lessons.
The ELEVATE HERight project is implemented within the framework of the PREVENT program by Generation for Change CY and Cyprus Family Planning Association. PREVENT is co funded by the European Union through the Citizens Equality Rights and Values Programme, the Bodossaki Foundation, and the NGO Support Centre, with a total grant amount of €2.3 million.
#Diversity #Equity #Inclusion #ELEVATEHERight #PREVENT
