Tajikistan

SwissRelief supports women and children who find themselves in dangerous situations or became victims of human trafficking or gender-based violence. The local partners offer them a safe environment, practical and emotional support, as well as vocational training so that they can create a sustainable livelihood for themselves.

Women can live in the safe place for three to six months, where they undergo rehabilitation. In 2023, the women‘s shelter was extensively renovated and new equipment, furniture and sanitary facilities were purchased. The improvement of the infrastructure helps the beneficiaries feel like members of a large family. Since the project began in 2012, 296 women, 63 youths and 281 children have lived in the shelter. In 2023, there were 22 women, six youths and 32 children. In addition, the team interviewed over a thousand women and girls in the last year and carried out basic research on the topics of human trafficking and domestic violence in the target group.

The three training centers in Dushanbe were fully equipped with new furniture and sewing machines with the support of UNFPA. In the two other centers in Vahdat and Rudaki, the curricula for the training courses were revised. In 2023, 715 women were trained in vocational skills and 141 received official diplomas. Psychological treatment, legal assistance, English classes and business training were also offered and the team conducted more than 70 awareness-raising seminars among women, men, managers, doctors and others.