Three women, one wearing a hijab, standing together with their arms around each other, facing a barbed wire fence and fields in the distance during dusk.

Meet the women united to fight for a world free from violence.

Join the Team!

  • Aline Rousseau

    COMMUNICATIONS VOLUNTEER

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  • A woman with curly hair and hoop earrings wearing a gray shirt with a colorful design, standing against a plain light background.

    Amira Ouanella

    FUNDRAISING & ADMIN SUPPORT

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  • Bentah Achieng Project Coordinator Kenya

    Bentah Achieng

    PROJECT COORDINATOR KENYA

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  • Three women posing outdoors near a chain-link fence, with one woman wearing a black hijab and holding a yellow foam fighting pad, another in a tie-dye shirt holding a red martial arts shield, and the third woman in sportswear kneeling with fists up, all smiling.

    Claude Jonkmans

    FOUNDER & DIRECTOR

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  • Doris Höflmaier

    VOLUNTEER WEBSITE

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  • A woman with long brown hair smiling in a dimly lit outdoor setting at night, with blurred city lights in the background.

    Emma Heijmans

    BOARD MEMBER

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  • A woman smiling in sunglasses standing in front of a scenic coastal landscape with mountains and blue ocean.

    Emily Forbes

    DEVELOPMENT MANAGER

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  • Joyce Wairimu

    VOLUNTEER FUNDRAISING OFFICER KENYA

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  • A person with short hair wearing a black Columbia vest and a white shirt, smiling at the camera indoors.

    Katharina Strutynski

    INSTRUCTOR & SPORT THERAPIST

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  • A woman with long, windblown hair standing on a boat deck during sunset, with her arms crossed, wearing a dark fuzzy jacket, and the ocean and distant hills visible in the background.

    Mirjana Lazic

    BOARD MEMBER

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  • Mwegelo Kapinga

    FUNDRAISING VOLUNTEER

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  • Rachel Piazza

    ESD MENTOR KENYA

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  • Sylvia Akoth Odhiambo

    FUNDRAISING VOLUNTEER

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  • Tatjana Brandner

    Tatjana Brandner

    ATHENS PROJECT COORDINATOR

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PAST SUPPORTERS

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PAST SUPPORTERS 〰️

  • Two women standing outdoors next to a chain-link fence. One woman is wearing a white shirt with black sleeves, and the other is dressed in a blue and white tracksuit. They are posing together, with the woman on the left making a fist and the woman on the right pointing at her.

    Anastasia Pontika

    SUPPORT TEAM

  • Three young women standing together in front of a black cargo van, smiling, with large trees and a stone fence in the background.

    Lidia

    FIELD VOLUNTEER

  • Three young women standing together in front of a black van with its side door open, outdoors with trees and a stone wall in the background.

    Lou-Anne

    FIELD VOLUNTEER

  • Close-up of a young woman with blonde hair, blue eyes, and makeup, taking a selfie in sunlight with a neutral expression, wearing a green sleeveless top and layered necklaces, indoors near a door.

    Lauren

    BLOG WRITER

  • Lisa

    Lisa

    SPORT COACH

Two young women are sitting on the floor near the open blue door of a house, playfully pulling on each other's arms. One woman is smiling, wearing a white T-shirt and yellow pants; the other is covering her face, wearing a white T-shirt and dark shorts. There is a transparent plastic container filled with clothes and a smartphone on the floor next to them. Outside, visible through the open door, there is a tree and outdoor furniture.

Work With Us

Support our mission and help us create a world free of gender based violence.

We are always in need of helping hands, online as a graphic designer or blogger, in fundraising or on the ground as a general volunteer or self-defense coach.

Send us an email with your CV + motivation letter and indicate for when and how long you would be available to support us in bringing women and girls self-defense education.

info@empowervan.org

Our Partners

  • Watercolor map of Australia with overlaid text that reads "Yoga and Sport with Refugees" and a pictogram of a person doing a handstand and a person running.

    Yoga Sport with Refugees

  • Logo with a stylized flower symbol and the text 'ROSA' above 'Rolling Safespace' in pink.

    ROSA Rolling Safespace

  • A circular emblem with an illustration of hands holding a globe representing Earth, with the text 'Better Life with Refugees' at the top and a slogan at the bottom.

    Better Life With Refugees

  • Action For Women

  • For Refugees

  • Faros Elpidas

  • Reclaim Childhood

  • RefuGym / Sama

  • Amina Center SAO

  • Roes Cooperativa

  • BAAS

  • Hip Hop 4 Hope

  • Naomi - CasaBase

  • Global Fighting Team

  • International Association of ESD Professionals

  • Wood Gear Design

  • Glocal Roots

  • Lesvos LGBTQ+ Solidarity

  • Organization Earth

  • Fra-z

  • Illiaktida

  • MetaDRASI

  • LighthouseRelief

  • USEC

    United Safe Environment Creators