What is the Irida Center?

“Irida” is a Greek word meaning spectrum or every shade of colour that makes up light. We chose this name because it reflects and celebrates the diversity of women that are part of our community. It represents the idea of Irida being a place for women of all nationalities, backgrounds and skills that interact and grow together. We make a long-term commitment to running Irida for, and in conjunction with the women of Thessaloniki.

Ιrida is a safe, welcoming, participatory space where women have a voice, a sense of ownership, and the opportunity to receive information and support. At Irida women have a chance to make social connections and build community; to bond, to develop, to thrive — all in an environment of safety, trust, and diversity. At Irida we value building community not just among our members, but between our members (often new arrivals to the Greek community), and the host community itself, through integration and inclusion.

Irida Women’s Center exists from 2018 for women of all nationalities and backgrounds; it offers safety and comfort, while also providing its members with direct resources to help heal trauma, as the large majority of our beneficiaries are refugee, migrant and asylum-seeking women and their children. Irida is  built on four pillars: protection, empowerment, inclusion, and integration.

Through protection & legal services, psycho social support, education and other community-building activities, our members feel empowered to actively participate in the programming of the center, and most importantly, to find agency in their lives.” More on The Irida Center’s mission

The Irida Center is partnered with Choose Love/Help Refugees and The Refugee Trauma Initiative. The Refugee Trauma Initiative works in line with BWI’s mission and could act as a collaborative partner on our curriculum and arts activities in the future.

RTI Mission: “RTI develops tools and resources to help refugees, aid workers, and organisations build approaches to manage stress, insecurity, and trauma.”