While savings services, vocational trainings, and knitting circles are open only for women, all men and women are welcome to participate in the educational workshops offered through the Women's Center. An estimated 2,000 women and men participate in Women’s Center programming every year 6044 1 false Worldwide, the majority of refugees and displaced persons are women and children. As in most refugee contexts, women in Meheba outnumber men. Despite this disparity, girls continue to enroll in school in lower numbers than boys; girls marry younger, and are disproportionately burdened with household, child rearing, and agricultural responsibilities. Domestic violence is a common practice in Meheba, and rarely are women entrusted with the responsibility of managing and saving a household’s money. Despite this pervasive gender imbalance, women have tremendous potential to build the foundation for development and revitalization in war-torn communities. 2007-12-27T09:35:43-06:00 The Meheba Women’s Center invites all women in the Meheba Refugee Settlement to participate in vocational training, women’s rights and empowerment workshops, and group savings opportunities. Led by three refugee women, the Women’s Center also offers informal counseling to victims of domestic violence, and helps women negotiate legal processes after suffering an attack. Through extensive outreach activities in all communities in Meheba, the Women’s Center encourages all residents of Meheba, men and women, to participate. To develop the skills, knowledge and confidence of refugee women by providing a safe space for women to work together, create, learn, and expand their horizons. 3 • Hosting regular week-long workshops about human rights, women’s rights, reproductive health, and family planning for women & men • Conducting weekly knitting and crochet circles exclusively for women in communities through the settlement where women are encouraged to share their stories and perspectives on self-defense and women’s security in a safe and confidential environment • Offering vocational training sessions in tailoring • Providing informal drop-in counseling for victims of sexual and violent abuse, and helping victims file a report with camp authorities • Hosting multiple women’s saving and lending circle through which small groups of committed women pool their savings to help each other pay for health and family-related expenses or capital for income-generating activities • Providing free contraceptives for women #<Location:0xb30b2bc> 1 • To increase women’s ability to find employment and sustain themselves and their families • To enable women to advocate for themselves and their rights • To nurture responsible savings and spending practices for Meheba families • To develop women’s literacy on topics including women’s rights and security through workshops that reach 10% of Meheba’s women every year The strength and leadership that female refugees provide bolsters their homes and communities on a daily basis. Working with FORGE, Angolan refugee Jacqui B. established the Meheba Women’s Center in 2005 to encourage and support women in the Meheba community. To this end, Jacqui B and the staff of the Meheba Women’s Center, in conjunction with FORGE, have created a place for women to pursue vocational training, workshops on their gender-specific rights, and informal counseling services to address cases of rape and domestic abuse. Today, the Meheba Women's Center, managed entirely by refugee women, is a vibrant and bustling cornerstone of the Meheba Community. false Teaching women's rights and skills acquisition one year 2010-03-10T11:34:29-06:00