admin@msri.org.my (+603)-4252 8699
Since mid-2020, UNHCR Malaysia has supported virtual safe spaces to provide women with psychosocial support through eight online group chats, led by refugee women. The aim of these chats is to prevent and respond to GBV against refugee and asylum-seeking women and girls.
The initiative was prompted by movement restrictions imposed due to COVID-19, and has proven successful and helpful during lockdowns and beyond. The positive effects already documented are a result of equal and collaborative relationships among all main project actors, whose strengths and roles complement each other: UNHCR; an academic team; three local NGOs; an existing network of non-profit and public institutions that provide services to GBV survivors; and the participating refugee women. These women, who come from seven different communities, have significantly shaped all aspects of the project, from inception to implementation, to monitoring and evaluation.