The Asiyah Center: A Sanctuary for Muslim & BIPOC Women in Crisis

The Asiyah Women’s Center, founded in 2018, is the first emergency shelter in New York City and New Jersey specifically designed for survivors from the Arab, Middle Eastern, Muslim, South Asian (AMEMSA) and Black, Indigenous, People of Color (BIPOC) communities.

 It offers a trauma-informed, culturally competent safe haven for survivors of domestic and gender-based violence, homelessness, and eviction risks Asiyah Women’s CenterIdealist.

Full-Length Article: Empowerment Through Safety and Support

Holistic Mission and Services

The Asiyah Center stands out for its culturally tailored approach. It offers temporary housing and wraparound services—including medical care referrals, mental health counseling, job-readiness programs, legal advocacy, and permanent housing support—all delivered through a lens of cultural understanding and sensitivity.

Since opening its doors, the center has supported over 1,000 women and families, with 94% identifying as AMEMSA or BIPOC, reinforcing its specialized effectiveness in serving survivors from these communities.

Emergency Shelter & Day-to-Day Life

Up to 15 women and children can be housed at once in each residential home. Staffed by a trained all-female team and volunteers, the center ensures residents receive sheltering, meals, hygiene supplies, safety planning, and emotional support—all in a secure and nurturing environment.

Trauma-Informed & Culturally Competent Care

The center’s staff includes mental health professionals, social workers, and community members intimately familiar with the lived experiences of AMEMSA/BIPOC survivors. This expertise ensures residents receive genuine care in a culturally respectful context—from intake, to legal accompaniment, to wraparound trauma support.

Advocacy, Justice, and Community Education

As a survivor-led gender-justice organization, Asiyah Center also spearheads advocacy efforts and community education. It raises awareness of intimate partner violence within Muslim and BIPOC communities and provides programming on survivors’ rights, reproductive justice, and pathways to legal recourse.

Impact in Numbers

• 650+ women and children housed

• Over 71,000 hot meals served

• Operating for more than 6 years in New York City since its founding in 2018.

Leadership & Team

Dania Darwish, the center’s co-founder and Executive Director, brings leadership experience from organizations like Amnesty International, UN Women, and CARE, and has supported refugees worldwide before launching the center in 2018.

The dedicated team also includes communications managers, social workers, development staff, and culturally rooted community supports—many of whom share the cultural and linguistic backgrounds of those they serve.

Why Asiyah Center Matters

• It fills a critical gap in emergency housing services tailored to AMEMSA and BIPOC survivors that mainstream shelters often overlook.

• Offers culturally competent support—a cornerstone for survivors whose primary identity, faith, or language may shape every aspect of their crisis response.

• Operates with transparency and legitimacy as a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit, helping women move from crisis to stability with dignity and community empowerment .

Empowerment, Safety & Change

The Asiyah Women’s Center is more than a shelter—it’s a lifeline, a movement, and a model of culturally responsive care for survivors. Through trauma-informed services, legal advocacy, community education, and healing-centered support, Asiyah is enabling survivors to reclaim their lives and rebuild with strength and hope.

If you’re seeking help, want to volunteer, or wish to support survivors of domestic violence with culturally aware services, the Asiyah Women’s Center offers a trusted haven and a transformative path forward.

Let me know if you’d like to explore volunteer opportunities, personal stories, or ways to support their mission further.