Digital empowerment of refugee women

The British Red Cross helps refugee women use the power of the internet to connect, share and learn about life in the UK. We offer digital transformation to empower women.

Starting life in the UK: made easier with digital empowerment

When a refugee woman settles in the UK, it can be a time of celebration, relief, and new beginnings. But she may also face challenges – with the language, fitting in, and understanding what life here is like.

The British Red Cross understands how digital empowerment can help refugee women adapt to and settle into life in the UK more easily. We do this by providing access to online digital resources so refugee women can connect with others, learn about life in the UK and feel like a part of a community and society.

We've translated these into nine different languages, including presentations for facilitators. You can find these on the right hand side.

Download our digital resources and watch our films in:

Helping refugee women get online

Our digital empowerment project helps refugee women harness the connecting power of the internet to integrate into society, get advice and find the services they need.

With funding from the Home Office Resettlement, Asylum Support, and Integration Directorate, we gave 300 refugee women across the UK a laptop and unlimited data for six months.

Five Red Cross online workshops, delivered in seven languages then helped create a space where women could come together to learn about their rights, how to access services online and stay safe and healthy.

Before the programme, we didn't know much about the internet, and how to go online. But when we did the project it opened our minds to how we can go about things in the UK and how we can actually live the life that the British are living today.
I also recognised that I needed this, for me. It was good.

Florence, project participant

How do digital skills support refugee women's empowerment?

Empowering refugee women with digital skills provided them with practical support and helped them to access everyday essentials. Some of the sessions covered practical tips like how to set up a strong email password. Others went into more detail on how to find what you need in the UK, such as asking for advice on housing, finding help with contraception, and how to register a child at school.

We also shared information on understanding what a woman's rights are in the UK, for example when dealing with issues such as online scams, domestic abuse, and the role of social services. Another important topic was how to recognise harassment and danger.

We invite everyone to watch films made for the project below, co-produced by the VOICES network and available in Arabic, Farsi, English, Amharic, and Tigrinya. You can also download accompanying guides to the workshops and films in English and seven other languages. Please feel free to use these to run your own workshops or learn about these issues yourself.