On International Women’s Day, conversations about equality often center on leadership, visibility and opportunity. In an International Medical Corps-run women’s and girls’ safe space (WGSS) in Rural Damascus, change begins somewhere quieter—a woman writing her name for the first time at 74, or another holding a crochet hook with steady hands and renewed confidence.
At our WGSS in Beit Sahem, Rural Damascus, women and girls of different ages gather not only to learn but to reclaim something many thought had passed them by—the opportunity to grow.
When Mariam,* a mother of three in her early 50s, first came to the WGSS, it was not for enrolling in a course. She came seeking diabetes medication, after a neighbor told her about the free medical services we offer to women and girls, as well as to boys below 7 who can access the WGSS with their mothers. At the time, Mariam describes herself as feeling “desperate” and lonely. What she found at the center was more than medical support—she found an opportunity to learn. When she enrolled in Arabic literacy classes, the idea of learning at her age at first felt strange. But signing documents she could not read had long been a source of embarrassment, while reading bus signs meant asking strangers for help.
Today, she reads headlines and understands what she signs. She is also able to help her children with their learning. “I feel empowered now,” she says. “I have confidence in myself to learn more.”
Mariam’s confidence extends beyond literacy. She has learned practical skills such as sewing and how to assemble recyclable materials into usable household products that can be sold. She shares these ideas with other women in her community, expanding the programs’ impact.
The safe space, she explains, feels different because of the women around her and the way our staff treats them: with patience, respect and encouragement. “We see how tired the teacher can be sometimes, but she always finds a way to motivate us,” she says.
For Mariam, personal growth is no longer abstract. It is reading a bus sign independently. It is signing her name without fear.
A Place to Begin Again
Salma’s* journey of change started with English classes at the Beit Sahem WGSS nearly three years ago. At the time, she said she had no close friends.
The first lesson changed that. Within a week, the class felt less like a course and more like a community. Salma developed close friendships with other women that continue today. Later, she joined crochet classes, an activity she describes as “calming and restorative.”
“When I start the lesson, I feel relaxed,” she says. “The teacher spends time with us to understand what we want to create and guides us step by step.”
For Salma, what defines the safe space is the privacy, respect and the comfort of being among other women. Even observing how an all-women’s team delivers medical services professionally reinforces her sense of security.
The impact goes beyond language or craft skills. Salma says she now thinks “outside the box,” feels more socially confident and looks forward to each session as a meaningful break from daily pressures. For the 29-year-old, what began as a class became a connection, and what started as a skill became self-belief.
The Power of Patience
For Reem AlAridi, a teacher at the WGSS who joined International Medical Corps in October 2023, the transformation is visible in small but powerful moments.
Many of the women she teaches face illiteracy, social stigma around learning at an older age and a fear of failure. Some are mothers, some are grandmothers, some are the same age as her own mother. Trust, she explains, builds when women understand that the WGSS is more than place to receive a lesson. “It is a protected space, a place where we respect privacy and replace judgment with patience,” she explains, adding that the emotional moment is always the last day of the course. “When a woman writes her name for the first time, it can be a great achievement.”
Reem AlKhaldi, another teacher at the center, joined in December 2024. For her, confidence is the most visible outcome. “From the second session, we see trust building,” she says. “A simple crochet piece can boost self-confidence.”
She recalls how one woman borrowed a book from a small library available within the WGSS, and soon the entire group asked for one—a simple act that showed how motivation spreads, and how courage can become contagious.
Some women have started generating a small income from their skills. Others have encouraged younger girls in their families to return to school. The safe space available to these women and girls helps them step forward with confidence and light a path for others in their community.
Independence is often spoken about in slogans, but in the WGSS in Beit Sahem, it looks different: a 74-year-old grandmother proudly writing her name for the first time; a widow reading a document before signing it; a lonely young woman finding her first close friend; a group of women encouraging one another to try again; a crochet piece held up with quiet pride; or a classroom filled with patience instead of doubt. It looks like women learning and supporting each other without shame—building confidence, step by step.
At the WGSS, change does not arrive in a single moment. It grows—through medical services, literacy lessons, shared laughter, careful stitching and the steady belief that learning has no age limit.
Learn more about how we support communities in Syria and around the world.
*Names have been changed to protect privacy.