Irida Women´s Center

About us

Irida Women's Center is a Greek, non-profit organization founded in 2016 and established in Thessaloniki, Northern Greece. We work to protect, empower, and support socially and economically vulnerable women to become active members of society and fulfill their goals and aspirations. In the sole safe space for women in Northern Greece, women find the support they need to address their challenges, find solutions, and achieve long-lasting positive change. Through casework, legal and psychosocial support, and skill-building and employability services, women find a space to learn, make responsible decisions for their lives, and pursue opportunities for personal and professional growth.
We focus on individuals who identify themselves as women over 18 years -Greek, refugees, and migrants-facing extreme social and economic vulnerabilities, living in poverty, and social exclusion, being (potentially) victims of gender-based violence, single mothers, mothers of large families, and low-skilled and/or (long-term) unemployed adults.

Our Vision
“A world in which no woman is left behind”

Our Mission
“To ensure that all women are supported and empowered to pursue opportunities for personal and professional development and determine the course of their lives”.

Focus areas:
• Protection: Our goal is to strengthen women’s capacity, so they can actively participate in their community, access resources and make informed decisions for their lives.
• Livelihood: Our goal is to empower women to gain the skills & confidence they need to pursue opportunities for employment and income generation.
• A Child-Safe Space: Our goal is to provide children with specialized psychosocial support and early-childhood education.

Our programs:
The Protection Program
• Casework and Social Services
• Legal Assistance and Court Representation
• Psychosocial Support in one-to-one and group sessions
The Skill-building and Economic Empowerment Program
• Language courses
• Literacy classes
• Job counseling
• Artistic Activities
The Child's Safe Space Project
• Early-childhood development activities
• Well-being activities

SustainHER - Promotion of Sustainable Employment for Vulnerable Women at risk of Poverty and Social Exclusion: The project aims to protect and promote access to sustainable employment opportunities for socially and economically vulnerable women through skill-building and vocational training. Additionally, the project conducts research on sustainable employment for vulnerable women on both national and European levels, while examining the current conditions in the field of the lifelong learning and vocational training for social and economically marginalized women.

Chloe Kousoula is the Founder & CEO and Lydia Siapardani is the Head of Communications of Irida Women's Center.

For other net participants we can offer an expert guidance through trained staff, give an expert opinion, procure expert information and establish new contacts in the field of our work.