The Bristol women supporting refugees and asylum seekers

When Layla Ismail arrived in Bristol as a refugee from Somalia in 1995, she felt a palpable sense of loneliness.

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

“Arriving here on my own was mind-blowing. I used to cry a lot. For six or seven months, I only saw my husband, who spoke my language.”

Sitting in Baraka Community Café inside Easton Family Centre, Layla reminisced about her journey and that of Refugee Women of Bristol, an organisation she co-founded in 2003.

“We wanted to create a safe space where women could come together, share information, and access services,” said Layla about the multi-faith, multi-ethnic organisation run for and by women of refugee and asylum-seeking communities. The organisation has just been named as Bristol24/7’s charity partner for 2023.

Easton Family Centre, where RWoB are currently based – photo: Ellie Pipe

Refugee Women of Bristol hopes that, over the next year, with support from Bristol24/7 and the wider Bristol community, it will enhance its social media profile, widen its supporter base, and build stronger partnerships with the business sector in Bristol. Most importantly, the organisation wants people who need their services to learn about the charity and the work they do.

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Established in 2003, RWoB is the only multi-ethnic, multi-faith organisation that specifically targets the needs of refugee women in Bristol and the surrounding area. It is directly governed by women of the refugee and asylum-seeking community and is focused on providing services to disenfranchised groups beyond the generic category of ‘refugee’.

On average, RWoB supports 350 refugee and asylum-seeking women and their pre-school children annually. Their projects include a weekly drop-in centre where members attend ESOL classes, workshops, health and wellbeing events, arts and crafts sessions, and food gatherings, where friendships are made, and communities are built.

Their “Mend the Gap” project supports women fleeing from domestic violence, and, along with its partners, RWoB campaigns against Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) and Violence against Women and Girls (#EndVAWG).

Through its work, the organisation aims to raise the educational and economic status of refugee and asylum-seeking women by providing access to English language learning, volunteering, and training opportunities. This experience has shown to increase women’s ability to gain employment, support themselves, reduce isolation, and improve confidence.

The drop-in centre serves women from over 46 different countries of origin, and everyone is welcome.

Layla, now development manager of the charity, said, “RWoB was set up to respond to the unmet needs of women who are seeking sanctuary in our city. We are the only organisation run by and for refugee and asylum-seeking women in Bristol.

“We provide women with a space to rest and recover so they can engage with the wider community. One of my greatest and proudest accomplishments is co-founding this amazing charity, which helps women facing the same challenges I faced.

“Now, more than ever, women who are seeking safety and fleeing violence and abuse need our protection. Our organisation is well-equipped and best placed to provide this urgent support.”

Find out more about Refugee Women of Bristol and how you can support their work. Bristol24/7 will be supporting Refugee Women of Bristol for the next year with marketing, volunteers, editorial coverage and more.

Become a member of Bristol24/7 to support our work with charities and our projects to create opportunities for young people and amplify marginalised voices.

Main photo: Layla Ismail by Chris Cronin

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