The ‘sisterhood’ providing a safe space for refugee women in Bristol

When Layla Ismail came to Bristol as a refugee from Somalia in 1995, the loneliness she experienced was palpable.

“I would walk around Clifton and Cotham areas and not see anyone who looked like me,” says the anti-FGM activist and campaigner for women’s rights.

“Coming here on my own was mind-blowing, I used to cry a lot. There would be six or seven months where I would not see anyone aside from my husband who spoke my language.”

Reminiscing over a coffee in Baraka Community Café inside Easton Christian Family Centre, Layla speaks about her own journey and that of Refugee Women of Bristol, an organisation she co-founded in 2003.

“We wanted to create that safe space for women to come together, share information and access services,” says Layla about the organisation that is multi-faith, multi-ethnic and run for and by women of refugee and asylum-seeking communities.

Layla Ismail and Negat Hussein work to provide a safe space for women refugees and asylum seekers – photo: Ellie Pipe

Layla initially launched Refugee Women of Bristol with the late Sue Njie. The charity has grown and developed over the years while staying true to its core values. Among its members are representatives from some 39 different nationalities.

Like many organisations, Layla and her team had to adapt fast to keep their services running through the pandemic and as part of this work, Refugee Women of Bristol has launched a brand new website that includes translations of information into different languages.

Layla explains the difficulties faced by women who arrive in a new country where they don’t speak the language, meaning things like accessing services and even getting on a bus can present a huge challenge.

Refugee Women of Bristol run English language courses, workshops, training and a creche, as well as advocacy, listening, befriending and signposting work. The women also celebrate each other’s cultures and traditions as part of an inclusive ethos.

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Reflecting on the importance of providing a safe space for refugees and asylum seekers, Layla says: “When women come to us, they don’t have to explain their journey because it’s often horrendous – some have been raped and seen people killed in front of them.

“They do not have to explain because we understand. We can tell the level of trauma in their faces. It’s about finding people who speak the same language and have shared experiences.”

The mother of five is based in Bristol but her work championing women and girls and campaigning against FGM (female genital mutilation) has an impact across the country and beyond.

Now based in Easton, Layla says many things have improved since she first came to the city in the mid-90s but there are also elements that have gotten worse.

“There are more people now and more services but it’s more hostile,” she tells Bristol24/7.

“With the government’s hostile environment, people feel they can speak out if they have racist views now, it’s a new norm. We do not feel welcome here.”

It’s a sad effect of the government’s anti-immigration rhetoric but within Easton Christian Family Centre, Layla and her team are continuing to make a difference to hundreds of lives and champion inclusion and diversity.

Negat Hussein, the community outreach worker and drop-in coordinator for Refugee Women of Bristol, adds: “We are quite unique because we are the only organisation that is a space only for women. It’s a safe space for a lot of women and is more like a sisterhood.”

Listen to Negat on the Behind the Headlines podcast:

Main photo: Sam Harvey

Read more: ‘Immigration bill ignores the fact that seeking asylum is a human right’