Women Asylum Seekers Together (WAST), located in Manchester, England is an organization that provides a safe and supportive environment for women who are in various stages of the asylum process. These women (from countries including Bangladesh, Democratic Republic of Congo, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Ghana, Ivory Coast, Pakistan, Russia, Sierra Leone, Sri Lanka, South Africa, Sudan, and Zimbabwe) experienced gender-based violence in various forms in their home countries.

WAST is managed and run by a group of asylum seeker women drawn from the organization’s membership base. The organization offers six-hour support group meetings every Friday where these women can gather, share experiences and knowledge, and empower each other. WAST also provides lunch and bus fares for those unable to pay for their travel expenses. WAST enables women asylum seekers to overcome their helplessness and isolation, to learn from each other, and empowers them to promote their own and others’ basic human rights. The grant from the Martín-Baró Fund will allow WAST to continue to expand their work and enhance psychosocial resources for the support groups for women seeking asylum.