Greek NGO gets first-ever Vigdis Prize for Women’s Empowerment

A Greek nongovernmental organization that helps women experiencing poverty, social exclusion and gender-based violence was singled out as the winner of a new prize established by the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) and the government of Iceland.

The 60,000-euro annual Vigdis Prize for Women's Empowerment, named after Iceland's former president Vigdis Finnbogadottir, the first woman in the world to be elected as a head of state, was presented in Strasbourg on Monday to the Thessaloniki-based Irida Women's Center. 

The Greek NGO was founded during the migration crisis in 2016 with the aim of providing emergency support and creating safe spaces for women and children from over 50 countries. The "true heroes of this journey," Irida's head of fundraising and communication, Lydia Siapardani, told the ceremony, are the women the organization serves and...