Young People Amplify the Voices of Refugee Women

The third day of the Erasmus+ Youth Exchange project "Humanity is No Borders" (Project No: 2023-2-TR01-KA152-YOU-000167854), coordinated by Artemis Women's Power MTÜ, offered participants one of the most meaningful learning experiences of the project by connecting them directly with the real-life stories of refugee women. Bringing together young people from Türkiye, Romania, Georgia, France, Estonia, and Czechia, the project continues to promote empathy, human rights, gender equality, and social inclusion through non-formal education.

The day began with a preparation session for the field interviews. Guided by experienced facilitators, participants learned about ethical interviewing techniques, appropriate question design, and the importance of respectful communication when working with vulnerable groups. Working in international teams, they prepared interview questions aimed at understanding the experiences of refugee women through empathy and active listening.

Following the preparation, participants met with refugee women living in Mersin. During the small-group interviews, the women shared their personal experiences of being forced to leave their home countries, the impact of war and conflict, the challenges they faced during migration, and the realities of rebuilding their lives in a new country. Beyond conducting interviews, participants also observed living conditions and gained a deeper understanding of the social and humanitarian challenges refugee women encounter in their daily lives.

After the field visit, participants transformed the knowledge they had gained into dissemination materials designed to raise public awareness. Divided into three working groups, they developed different communication tools to share the voices and experiences of refugee women with a wider audience. One group prepared newspaper-style articles based on the interviews, another organized photographs and written content for a photo exhibition, while the third team worked on the concept and production of a short documentary that will showcase the project's outcomes.

All of these materials were created to highlight the realities faced by refugee women from a human rights perspective while encouraging empathy and challenging stereotypes within society. Through this process, participants not only expanded their knowledge but also learned how to transform their experiences into meaningful awareness-raising actions.

The day concluded with a reflection and evaluation session, during which participants shared the emotional impact of meeting refugee women face-to-face and discussed how the experience had changed their perspectives. In the evening, the French and Estonian Cultural Night further enriched the intercultural learning process, allowing participants to explore the traditions, music, cuisine, and customs of both countries.

By the end of the third day, the Humanity is No Borders project had successfully empowered young people to give greater visibility to the stories of refugee women while strengthening the values of empathy, human rights, intercultural dialogue, and active citizenship.