Now more about our experiences, the overall goal of the response is to provide life-saving support to conflict the affected host communities.
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 abuse. 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.
In Afghanistan, women have limited space to meet, and public
spaces are often inhabited largely by
men. For many girls, the opportunity to move freely in the community becomes limited at the onset
of puberty. Parents often keep their daughters inside the house, protected from any contact with
males.
Afghan Women Virtual Safe Space (AWVSS) is a dynamic website which designed to facilitate access to information and services in a way that is safe, culturally appropriate, and accessible to Afghan women. Virtual safe places open up a broad stage for all those women willing to communicate. Women from around the country can participate and interact with each other.
The purpose of the safe spaces is to help women and adolescent girls in crisis to receive needed referrals and basic support for their rehabilitation, such as psycho-social counselling. Virtual safe spaces open up a broad stage for all those women willing to communicate. Women from around the country can participate and interact with each other.
Access to physical safe spaces is often limited for adolescent girls and women, especially during academic restrictions. This virtual safe space model is designed to facilitate access to information and services in a way that is safe, accessible, and appropriate for adolescent girls, particularly those who face higher levels of marginalization, such as girls with disabilities and married girls.