From Protection to Empowerment … Safe Spaces That Support Girls
The International Day of the Girl Child is an occasion to renew attention to girls’ needs, highlight the importance of protecting them from all forms of violence and discrimination, and providing equal opportunities that enable them to develop their abilities and acquire the skills necessary to face challenges and achieve their aspirations.
As part of efforts aimed at empowering girls and promoting their rights, GOPA-DERD’s team, implemented a set of initiatives and activities across several areas, designed to support girls and foster their educational, social, and creative capacities.
In Daraa, and with the aim of emphasizing the fundamental rights of girls and providing a supportive environment for their development, GOPA-DERD’s Community Center’s team, implemented a set of recreational and interactive activities for more than 60 young women in both the city and Basr al-Harir area.
The activities included a number of physical games and awareness sessions on girls’ rights to successful education, comprehensive healthcare, and guaranteed social protection.
GOPA-DERD’s Community Center’s team in Latakia, alsoimplemented an activity for adolescent girls and a session for mothers.
The activity included several stations featuring awareness on health and personal hygiene for adolescent girls and a drawing space, in addition to writing letters and wishes for the future.
Concurrently with this activity, the team provided a psychosocial support station for mothers, shedding light on the importance of self-examination and regular screening for breast cancer on the occasion of Pink Month.
In Rural Damascus, and under the title “Your Voice Shapes the Future”, GOPA-DERRD’s Community Center’s team, implemented an interactive event for a number of girls in Nashabeyah area.
The event aimed to promote awareness of girls’ rights, emphasize the importance of education, protection, and empowerment, encourage them to express their opinions freely and confidently, and enhance their active participation in decisions that affect their lives and future.
The event included a set of interactive activities that provided girls with a safe space to express their dreams and aspirations, and share their ideas about the future they aspire to achieve. This took place in cooperation UNHCR.
In Al-Maliha, and under the slogan “Ending Child Marriage and Investing in Girls’ Rights,” the team of GOPA-DERD’s “Darb” Center, the Safe Space Center for Women and Girls, implemented an activity for adolescent girls, in cooperation with UNFPA.
The activity addressed introducing girls to their rights, helping them find solutions and express their opinions, in addition to raising awareness about the impacts of early marriage from educational, social, psychological, economic, and health aspects. The activity included physical stations and handcrafts, as well as showcasing success stories of girls from the local community, and concluded by hanging displays featuring girls’ rights and messages expressing their desires, dreams, and talents.
In celebration of the International Day of the Girl Child, and with the aim of promoting awareness of her rights, GOPA0DERD’s “A Safe Maternity” Center’s team in Kafr Batna, Rural Damascus, implemented an awareness and recreational activity for a number of girls in Al-Maliha.
The activity included a set of interactive segments, artistic, and handcraft activities that promote the spirit of participation and creativity, contributing to providing a safe and supportive space for girls, emphasizing the importance of protecting girls’ rights and empowering them, grounded in the belief that every girl has the right to a heard voice and a dream that deserves to be fulfilled.
In turn, GOPA-DERD’s team in Homs, implemented a series of awareness and interactive activities with the participation of girls from various age groups.
In Fairouzeh, GOPA-DERD’s “A Safe Motherhood” program’s team carried out an event entitled “Your Dreams Shape Tomorrow,” with the participation of 55 girls aged 13 to 15,
The event included interactive stations that allowed participants to design paintings of their future dreams, exchange messages of support and encouragement, and participate in group games that fostered cooperation and acceptance of differences, alongside composing and setting positive, encouraging lyrics to music, and creating imaginative art pieces.
The activities concluded with a showcase of the groups’ achievements, emphasizing the importance of focusing on mental and physical health, and continuing learning and development despite challenges. This took place in cooperation with the ACT Church of Sweden and Radio Aid.
In Al-Qusayr, GOPA-DERD’s “Darb” center’s team organized an open day with the participation of more than 50 girls. It included awareness segments on girls’ rights and the health and social risks of early marriage, presented by a midwife and a lawyer, alongside the screening of a short film addressing the risks of this phenomenon. The girls also participated in interactive activities, including “The Crown of Rights,” “The Safe Girl’s Bag,” and role-playing games, which enabled them to embody leadership roles and deliver awareness messages highlighting the importance of protecting girls and ensuring their right to education, safety, expression of opinion, and seeking help when needed.
In Homs, over the span of two days, GOPA-DERD’s “Darb” center’s team, implemented various activities with the participation of more than 130 male and female beneficiaries.
The first day, held in the courtyard of the preparatory school in the Bab al-Sibaa neighborhood, witnessed the participation of 92 female students in activities combining games, self-expression, and discovering strengths. The girls exchanged positive phrases and wrote messages about their rights and future aspirations before the day concluded with the release of colourful balloons carrying their goals and words.
On the second day, young women and men, in cooperation with the I Run Club team, participated in a group running activity across the neighborhoods of Homs, affirming that supporting girls and respecting their rights is a shared responsibility. This was followed by a sporting activity that included interactive games and concluded with a singing session.
Under the slogan “Ending Child Marriage and Investing in Girls’ Rights”, GOPA-DERD’s “Darb” Center’s team in Deir ez-Zor, implemented a set of awareness activities to introduce girls’ rights and their important role in society, as well as the negative effects of early marriage.
In a related context, the team of GOPA-DERD’s “Darb” Center, the safe and friendly space for youth in Al-Mayadeen, organized an introductory session that addressed the rights of girls and the importance of reducing early marriage, with a focus on the importance of education and developing girls’ skills in the fields of study and work.
The team also distributed a number of awareness brochures in the area, which included information about the dangers of early marriage and its effects on girls’ lives and futures.
In Al-Hasakah, GOPA-DERD’s “Darb” Center’s team, the Youth Friendly and Safe Space, implemented a series of various activities spanning two days for more than 60 adolescent girls and boys,
During these activities, some participants presented their various artistic talents in singing and playing musical instruments, along with some handcrafts supervised by young women from the local community.
The team also implemented a recreational activity titled “Wall of Dreams” in coordination with the Syriac Cultural Association, where participants hung their dreams and wishes on a wall. This took place in cooperation with UNFPA.