International Women’s Day 2025:
“A rainbow in the clouds”
Four refugee women share their thoughts
International Women’s Day, celebrated on 8 March, is a global call to action for gender equality and empowerment. It is a day to amplify women’s own voices.
In 2024, 19,278 girls and women applied for asylum in Greece (26% of all asylum applications). On the occasion of the 8th of March, a symbolic day for the women’s rights movement, Refugee Support Aegean (RSA) shares the voices of four women from diverse backgrounds.
Through their personal narratives, these courageous women remind us that despite leaving behind their lives, families and possessions, and despite facing perilous journeys, they have survived and carried with them something meaningful: an experience, a memory, and strength.
In each interview, they were asked a central question: “What did you bring from your homeland?” After crossing walls and fences, mountains and seas, today they can hold on to that one item – this “rainbow in the clouds”, as a symbol of survival, hope and transformation. Moreover, women reflect on how their favorite music, a treasured reminder of home, echoes the resilience of their spirit.
We asked the women about the difficulties faced by women in their countries of origin, what kept them strong enough to reach Greece, the contrasts between what they had heard about Greece before arriving and the realities they face now, and their hopes for the future. Here are their stories.
Note: The phrase “a rainbow in the clouds” is drawn from Maya Angelou’s poem “Try to be a Rainbow in Someone’s Cloud.” The poem calls on us to bring hope and light even in the darkest moments, reflecting Angelou’s enduring message of resilience, transformation and solidarity.
Interviews
Deniz* from Afghanistan
-What did you bring from your homeland?
“The only things left from our few belongings when we reached Greece were the clothes on our bodies and the shoes on our feet.”
About Deniz*
Deniz* from Afghanistan, aged 44, arrived after multiple attempts via the land border into Greece. She has been here for four months now with her 6-year-old daughter and her husband. She escaped Afghanistan in early 2024 after enduring severe violence by the Taliban. On their way to Europe, Deniz says to RSA, they faced pushbacks and detention, finally reaching Greece with almost empty hands. In the beginning of 2025, the family received refugee status. They received minimal support upon arrival, according to Deniz.
Deniz’s relationship with music
In Afghanistan, Deniz used to listen to Bollywood music at home while cooking or cleaning, but only until the Taliban took power and banned music. She had to stop listening to music and she did not listen during the journey to Greece. Until now she hasn’t felt well enough to start listening to music again.
“Back home in Afghanistan women cannot live in freedom. They cannot do what they want. They are permanently under the control of men. Until I married, my family tightly controlled my life. I was never free. Luckily, I then married a man who gave me freedom, but outside of the home, no woman in Afghanistan is free. I felt afraid, dependent, immobilized and without any self-confidence.
Escaping Afghanistan and reaching Europe was very hard. Many times I thought we could die on the way. What kept me strong was my daughter and her dreams. When my daughter was getting scared or tired I would tell her all the good things she would get once we would reach safety: ‘You’ll go to school and you’ll get your own pink room!’
Emotionally, the most important thing to me that I brought from Afghanistan but which was lost along the way was a USB stick containing all the photos and videos of my daughter from the day she was born. When we first tried to reach Greece from Turkey, the Greek coast guard detected us at sea, stopped us, threw all our bags into the sea and pushed us back to Turkey. The USB stick along with all our identity documents and clothes disappeared into the waves.
Until recently I had a pair of shoes that I brought from Afghanistan, which held many memories for me. They were broken and completely worn out, but they carried me to Greece, they kept me company on the difficult journey and gave my feet the strength to reach safety. One day my husband said: ‘Your shoes are too old and worn out, we should get you new ones’. He threw them away and got me a new pair.
The one thing I have today, left from Afghanistan, is one green blouse. I keep it because it is the only item I have originating from the soil of my home. For my daughter, the most important thing that we brought to Greece was a little duck that she calls “Jifjif”. We had lost all her toys in the Greek sea; after we were returned to Turkey I got her this duck to cheer her up. We didn’t bring it from Afghanistan, but it travelled with her to Greece, so now she says: ‘If we leave Greece, I will take my bird with me’.
As a refugee, woman and mother, I often feel my hands are tied. When we first reached Greece, we had to spend several weeks in a closed camp. Once we were transferred to our current camp, my daughter became so tired of being confined behind fences that she just wanted to go outside. At the time, my husband and I decided to take her out for a short walk to see something new and pleasant. We took the bus since there is nothing to see and nowhere to go near our camp, but after only a few minutes, we were fined for not having tickets. As a mother, I can’t work or attend language classes in the city because I must take care of my young daughter. I shower my daughter with love, I watch over her when she plays outside, send her to school, check if she has done her homework, help her when I can and ensure she eats regularly – even if all I can provide is camp food. Since our arrival in Greece, we have never received any financial support, so I cannot buy anything for her. Being a refugee mother is not easy, but I try my best under these circumstances because every child deserves to be happy.
With my new shoes I aspire to walk toward a better life: in peace, without being controlled, and standing on my own feet. I want to study and support my daughter in reaching her dreams, so that she, and my family, can be happy..”
The one thing I have today, left from Afghanistan, is one green blouse. I keep it because it is the only item I have originating from the soil of my home. For my daughter, the most important thing that we brought to Greece was a little duck that she calls “Jifjif”. We had lost all her toys in the Greek sea; after we were returned to Turkey I got her this duck to cheer her up. We didn’t bring it from Afghanistan, but it travelled with her to Greece, so now she says: ‘If we leave Greece, I will take my bird with me’.
Sagal* from Somalia
-What did you bring from your homeland?
“If you ask me what I brought from Somalia, I could say I brought a lot of pain, although it wasn’t my choice. … But I will tell you this: What I chose to bring is a memory of strength.”
About Sagal*
Sagal* from Somalia, aged 35, is a single woman and mother of eight who reached Greece along with one of her adult daughters in early summer 2023. In spring 2024 she received her second asylum rejection, while her daughter who had just turned 18 and whose case was separated from hers, received a positive decision. It’s been almost a year since she has lived without financial state support in a camp outside Athens.
Sagal’s relationship with music
Sagal’s favourite song is “I love you” by Celine Dion. She says she has always loved English music. This song evokes a fond childhood memory for her. She used to listen to the song with her best friend who would ask: ‘What does it say?’ Then she translated the lyrics despite not fully understanding them. She simply said whatever came to mind and they would laugh together.
“In Somalia we women are not given any power and we are neither protected nor granted any rights – we are constantly abused. From a young age, many girls are forced into marriage; women suffer violence at home from their husbands and male relatives and in public spaces. Rape and death are major threats to us. How can I explain… there is nowhere safe and random acts of violence by strangers are part of everyday life.
Society in Somalia forces women to depend on men. For me personally, the worst thing that happened was female circumcision – a painful experience I will never forget. It is the main reason I feel I have lost my life, a sentiment shared by most Somali girls and women.
I faced a lot of violence back home, and a serious street attack on my son and me pushed me to flee in search of safety. I fought alone and succeeded. I don’t know how I found this power, but I know I protected my son and myself. This memory always gives me strength.
If you ask me what I brought from Somalia, I could say I brought a lot of pain, although it wasn’t my choice. The only object I could save was the earrings I am wearing now. They carry a hidden love story. But I will tell you this: What I chose to bring is a memory of strength.
I always imagined that Greece would be different from Somalia, because in Somalia anyone can carry a gun, but in Europe, this is forbidden. And indeed, I feel safer here. I feel that as a woman, I now have rights, power and freedom, making me safer than when I arrived. There are, of course, problems too. The camp I live in is very far from the city. There are fences surrounding us and even when the gate is open, it feels like a prison. I feel stressed, also because of my asylum case. I feel very lonely without my children and constantly worry about them. My strongest wish is to have all my children with me in one place.”
Arezu* from Afghanistan
-What did you bring from your homeland?
“The most precious thing I brought with me from Afghanistan was myself! By coming here, I saved my life.”
About Arezu*
Arezu* from Afghanistan, aged 27, is a young woman who was evacuated in 2021 together with her sister directly from Afghanistan to Greece. She spent a year here before being granted asylum and then moved to Switzerland after being left homeless with no means to survive. Despite her severe mental health problems, she was forcibly returned to Greece in June 2024. Today she lacks access to the necessary psychological care due to her deactivated social insurance number (AMKA), but she is trying to focus on language studies to keep her mind occupied.
Arezu’s relationship with music
Back in Afghanistan Arezu loved listening mainly to two Afghan songs, both titled ‘My mother’ – each by a different artist. Nowadays, she doesn’t like listening to them because she had to leave her mother and the rest of her family behind in Afghanistan. They all suffer and are in danger. She gets sad if she listens to the songs now.
“In Afghanistan everything was difficult for us women. We had no right to life, freedom, or choice. From the moment you are born until death, others – your father, brothers, uncles, or your husband and his male relatives – decide for you. I escaped my country driven by hope for freedom and safety, hoping to escape gender apartheid, patriarchical oppression, rape and death.
I belong to the very few people who were evacuated from Afghanistan to Greece without having to travel long, dangerous routes. I was, in a way, luckier than most others. But I could only bring a bag containing a few clothes and my documents. Today I have only one pair of trousers left from what I carried that day. I kept them because they were new. Now they are several sizes too large for me as due to the hardships we faced in Greece and in Switzerland and our forced return, I have lost many kilos. I don’t fit into these trousers anymore, but I keep them because they carry the scent of ‘home’. Memories of Afghanistan are terrifying, yet it was still home. The most precious thing I brought with me from Afghanistan was myself! By coming here, I saved my life.
Today I feel I have no hope or strength left. Everywhere I turned, doors closed in my face. Despite this, I try to move on in small steps, attempting to change my life even though I don’t know how.
The first period I spent in Greece was like hell for my sister and me. When I left, I never wanted to come back. But Switzerland forced us back here. It is very difficult to build a life in Greece without knowing the language, without understanding the culture. For us, living without our families was a new experience. You feel desperate, depressed, scared and angry, but you cannot share these feelings with anyone. You don’t know where to find shelter, and even if you do, it’s only temporary. You become trapped, as you can’t do anything. You have no money to move around. You cannot even go to a hospital for examinations and therapy. I feel like I can’t do anything to change my situation here. I feel like a stranger. Refugeehood is a tough experience. I really don’t know where to start to rebuild my future.
I wish for peace, happiness and health. I want to become strong enough to support my family and enjoy a good life. I want to study international relations or law. I always dreamed of becoming a member of the parliament here in Europe – not in Afghanistan. I want to help others.”
Aminata* from Sierra Leone
-What did you bring from your homeland?
“I could bring with me only my free will.”
About Aminata*
Aminata* from Sierra Leone, aged 28, arrived in Greece with her small daughter and her husband while she was pregnant with her son. Aminata’s small family reached Lesvos in early November 2024. Today, it’s not even a year since they had to escape their home country. The horrible memories are still very present. For a month, they have been living in a camp far away from Athens, currently awaiting their asylum interview.
Aminata’s relationship with music
Aminata’s favourite song is a Gospel song. When she listens to it, it boosts her faith and gives her hope to endure difficult times, she says. Religion is very important for her. When she is sad and feels that she doesn’t want to talk to anyone, she turns on this song that comforts her.
“In Sierra Leone there are no human rights for women. Women suffer extensive mental and physical abuse. The dominant mentality of society is that women should be submissive and stand behind men. Even in your own matrimonial home, you can be abused. Additionally, women and girls are subjected to FGM [Female genital mutilation] and forced marriage. We experience a lot of violence.
I wish I could have brought with me something that held cherished childhood and home memories, but we had to leave overnight because we were in acute danger. We literally had to run, so we could not take anything. I could bring with me only my free will.
What gave me the strength to escape and to make this long and dangerous journey was my daughter. Both of our lives were in danger. I had to bring her to safety, to protect her so that she can grow up in peace and freedom. That gave me the power to keep going.
We reached Greece with many difficulties, by sea while I was pregnant with my second child. I am happy we all arrived safely, but the journey was very hard and scary. In the camp where we live now, our situation is extremely challenging regarding basic needs. It is truly difficult. We live far from Athens and no humanitarian organisations are visiting us. But ultimately, we escaped the violence.
My wish is that we obtain proper documents, settle down and create a safe and comfortable environment for my children and me.”