Finland provides additional support to Syrian refugee women

Press release 84/2016
29 April 2016

Finland grants EUR 1.5 million to a UN Women project in Jordan. The project has set up three women's oases at the Zaatari Refugee Camp which offer women and girls not only asylum but also opportunities for work, vocational education, day care services, reading instruction and protection from violence. The oases are frequented by some 750 women and girls every month and they have also offered employment for 172 women. The project is also working with the refugee camp's male leaders and this has reduced domestic violence within the given target group by 20 per cent. The additional support will be directed to the opening of a women's oasis at the Azraq refugee camp.

"I visited the UN Women's oases at the Zataari Refugee Camp in October 2015. I was impressed by the important work carried out by the UN Women to empower women and girls," says Minister for Foreign Trade and Development Lenita Toivakka.

"At the refugee camp, the women's oases are the most important providers of paid employment. An improved economic situation also improves women's socioeconomic position at the camp, and women's rights are then usually better taken into account, too.

In the town of Mafraq, situated close to the Zaatari Refugee Camp, work is being conducted among low-income Jordanian women and Syrian refugee women. So far, some 80 women have gained employment in textile industry.

The political and economic empowerment of women is one of the most important objectives of Finland's development policy. This applies to Finland's support to the victims of the Syrian conflict as well. In 2014, Finland granted EUR 500,000 to the project. Italy is the project's other main source of funding. Despite the cuts in its development aid, Finland with its EUR 10 million support in 2016 is still one of the world's largest donors to UN Women's activities.

The currently approved funding makes part of the EUR 25 million pledge given by Prime Minister Juha Sipilä for the support of Syria and its neighbouring countries at the February Supporting Syria and the Region Conference in London. The pledge is divided between humanitarian aid, EUR 15 million, and development aid, EUR 10 million, to support the resource capacity of the local communities and neighbouring countries that accommodate refugees.

Inquiries: Jussi Nummelin, Desk Officer responsible for support to Syria, tel. +358 50 430 2018 and Marjaana Ettala, Desk Officer for UN Women matters, Ministry for Foreign Affairs, tel. +358 50 408 6013

For a video on the UN Women project, please go to: https://youtu.be/QlkxUC1x4w8 (in Finnish)