Irida Women's Center

What Irida Women's Center does

Irida Women's Center (Ίριδα Κέντρο Γυναικών) is a civil nonprofit organization established in 2016 in Thessaloniki, Northern Greece, operating the first and only safe community space for women in that region. The organization serves Greek, refugee, and migrant women experiencing or at risk of gender-based violence and socio-economic vulnerability, with beneficiaries originating from over 50 countries. Services are delivered free of charge through two programmatic pillars: a Protection Program (casework, psychosocial support, referrals, legal aid, and court representation) and a Livelihoods Program (vocational training, Greek and English language courses, and employability services such as the Kitchen Assistant RISE track in partnership with iekomiros). Supporting services include childcare for children aged 1–6, psychological support through art and stress-management workshops, and the SheChangeSpeak campaign building a network of trained safe-spot businesses in Thessaloniki.

The organization does not build proprietary technology; its service delivery is human-led, multilingual (English, Arabic, Farsi, Ukrainian, French, Greek) via in-person sessions and dedicated WhatsApp lines, and supported by standard web/digital communications infrastructure. Revenue mechanics are entirely grant- and donation-driven: primary funding flows from EU programmes (CERV-2023-DAPHNE for SheChange, and the BUILD programme co-funded with Bodossaki Foundation and NGO Support Centre Cyprus), supplemented by donations and institutional awards such as the 2024 Vigdis Prize for Women's Empowerment (€60,000) from PACE and the Government of Iceland. There are no paying customers; beneficiaries receive services at no cost, and the business model is therefore one of donor stewardship rather than commercial monetization.

Name

Irida Women's Center

Legal name

Ίριδα Κέντρο Γυναικών

Website

https://iridacenter.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2016

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Irida Women's Center is a Thessaloniki-based nonprofit operating Northern Greece's first and only safe community space for women, delivering free protection, legal aid, psychosocial, and employability services to Greek, refugee, and migrant women from over 50 countries.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Women's Social Services

NAICS

Services for the Elderly and Persons with Disabilities (624120)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Gender Equality & Women’s Rights Advocacy (BPAGAFAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

Gender Equality & Women’s Empowerment (BPAGABAF), Integration & Inclusion Services (Housing, Education, Employment) (BPADAHAI), Migrant & Refugee Legal Aid and Documentation Services (BPADAHAE)

Keywords

• Gender-based violence support
• Women's protection services
• Psychosocial support
• Vocational training women
• Refugee women empowerment

Headquarters

HQ city

Thessaloniki

HQ country

Greece

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Donations: The organization accepts financial donations through bank transfers to support operations and expand services to more women. Multiple bank accounts are maintained for this purpose.
2. EU and International Funding: Significant funding received from EU programs including CERV (Citizens, Equality, Rights and Values), BUILD program co-funded by CERV, and SheChange project funded by CERV-2023-DAPHNE. Also funded by Bodossaki Foundation and other institutional donors.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Irida Women's Center operates a community-based service center in Thessaloniki providing free protection, legal aid, psychological support, language training, vocational training, and economic empowerment services to women survivors or at risk of gender-based violence, including Greek, refugee, and migrant women from over 50 countries. Services are delivered in-person at the community center through two core programs (Protection Program and Livelihoods Program) plus supporting projects such as SheChangeSpeak and Inclu-SHE-vity.

Product overview

Irida Women's Center is a civil nonprofit organization established in 2016 in Thessaloniki, Greece, offering a community-based service ecosystem for socially and economically vulnerable women, with special focus on survivors or women at risk of gender-based violence. The organization operates two core programmatic pillars: the Protection Program (providing casework, psychosocial support, referrals, and safeguarding) and the Livelihoods Program (providing vocational training, language classes, and employability services). Supporting services include legal assistance, psychological support, art classes, and childcare. The center also runs specialized projects and campaigns such as SheChangeSpeak (safe-spot business network) and Inclu-SHE-vity (GBV support). Services are delivered through a women-led community center — the first and only safe community space for women in Northern Greece.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Protection Program Integral first-step program ensuring all women are supported and empowered to pursue personal and professional growth; provides case management, psychosocial support, referrals, and safeguarding services for women experiencing or at risk of gender-based violence.
• Livelihoods Program Aims to eliminate the cycle of poverty and social exclusion by empowering women to obtain skills and confidence for sustainable employment and income generation; includes vocational training and adult learning activities for economically vulnerable women.
• Legal Services Legal counseling, assistance, and court representation for asylum seekers, recognized refugees, and beneficiaries under migration law, including GBV victims and single-parent families.
• Psychosocial Support Services Psychological support, open psychosocial support sessions through arts, stress management workshops, and community-building activities for women facing socio-economic vulnerabilities.
• Language Classes (Greek/English) Greek and English language courses including intensive B1 Greek language proficiency exam preparation, enhancing women's employability and integration.
• Vocational Training (RISE) Vocational training cycles such as Kitchen Assistant training, implemented in partnership with iekomiros (Omrios), providing professional kitchen facilities and experienced trainers.
• Childcare Support (CFS/Baby Space) Support services for children aged 1-6 years old, enabling mothers to participate in center activities while their children are cared for in a safe space.
• SustainHER Project Project under the BUILD program in partnership with Stimmuli for Social Change, promoting sustainable employability for socially and economically vulnerable women; enhanced sustainable and dignified living for 50 women facing social and economic exclusion.
• Volunteer and Internship Programs Opportunities for individuals to contribute through teaching classes, running recreational activities, leading workshops, or volunteering in the baby/childcare space.

Quantifiable outcome

• 50 women supported through SustainHER project for sustainable and dignified living
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration1 record

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and supporting.

• Stimmuli for Social ChangecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration partner in implementing the SustainHER project under the BUILD program. SustainHER promotes sustainable employability for socially and economically vulnerable women through comprehensive support services.
• NGO Support Centre CypruscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in the BUILD program, working together with Irida and other organizations to enhance the capacity and sustainability of civil society organizations in Greece and Cyprus.
• iekomiros (Omrios)supportingImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerVocational training partner for the RISE program. Provides fully equipped professional kitchen facilities and experienced trainers for Kitchen Assistant vocational training, bridging from language education to practical job skills.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• HIAS: Global Jewish humanitarian organization providing refugee protection, GBV programming, and economic inclusion across multiple countries. Comparable via its gender-based violence and women's economic empowerment programming for refugee populations.
• Womankind Worldwide: UK-based international women's rights organization funding and running women's empowerment and GBV-prevention programs in the Global South. Comparable through its women's-rights advocacy frame, similar to Irida's mission.
• Women for Women International: International nonprofit running vocational training, livelihoods, and rights education programs for marginalized women in conflict and post-conflict settings. Direct comparability via Irida's Livelihoods Program (Kitchen Assistant training, employability services) for vulnerable women.
• UN Women: United Nations entity dedicated to gender equality and the empowerment of women, funding and coordinating GBV programs globally. Comparable as the umbrella funder/peer for the gender-equality funding ecosystem in which Irida operates.
• Médecins du Monde – Greece: International medical humanitarian organization with active programs in Greece providing health and psychosocial support to vulnerable populations including migrants and survivors of violence. Comparable as a larger, established peer with overlapping beneficiary base.

Direct peers

• Kitrinos Healthcare: UK-registered charity delivering healthcare and psychosocial support to refugees in Northern Greece since 2016. Shared geographic footprint and overlapping migrant women beneficiary population make it a strong operational peer.
• SolidarityNow: Greek nonprofit operating service centers and programs for refugees, migrants, and vulnerable populations. Both organizations run multi-service community hubs in Northern Greece serving overlapping refugee/migrant women beneficiaries.
• DIOTIMA – Centre for Women's Rights: Greek Thessaloniki-based women's rights organization providing GBV protection, legal aid, and empowerment services to women across Greece. Irida's geographic and programmatic overlap (women's protection, migrant women, advocacy) makes it the closest direct comparability peer.
• Greek Council for Refugees: Greek NGO providing legal aid, psychosocial support, and representation to asylum seekers and refugees — directly mirroring Irida's legal services line for refugee and GBV-affected women.

Regional players

• Council of Europe – Gender Equality Division: Council of Europe body overseeing the Vigdis Prize and gender-equality standards across 46 member states. Relevant as the awarding body of Irida's signature recognition and a structural peer in the European women's-rights ecosystem.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/iridacenter
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/iridacenter
• Instagraminstagram.com/iridacenter

Compliance8 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Irida Women's Center