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Achievements in 2009

The Women's Refugee Commission in Action

To help refugee women and youth become self-reliant:

• The Women’s Refugee Commission, in partnership with Columbia University, developed a Market Assessment Toolkit, to assist vocational training providers and youth in gathering information on local market demand and translating it into improved programming. In 2009, the toolkit was field tested in northern Uganda, and is now being requested by many operational agencies globally and referenced by donors as good practice.

• Established and convened a Youth Advisory Group, consisting of 15 conflict-affected young people, recruited from across the globe. Following the meeting, the advisors participated in the Inter-Agency Network for Educations in Emergencies Global Consultation for Education in Emergencies in Istanbul where their input influenced policy and programming discussions.

• Published the Livelihoods Field Manual; thus far, over 1,000 copies have been distributed and 400 downloaded.

• Conducted regional livelihoods training workshops in Ghana, Kenya and Thailand with a combined total of 106 participants from various UN agencies as well as international and local NGOs.

• Presented the Disabilities Report at the World Bank’s conference on disabilities in Washington.

• Laid the groundwork and drafted an initial United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR) Executive Committee Conclusion on persons with disabilities, which is expected to be formally introduced and adopted in 2010.

To ensure that refugee women and children are healthy:

• Integration of the Minimal Initial Service Package (MISP) and comprehensive reproductive health care into the Health Cluster Guide for humanitarian health response.

• The Inter-agency Standing Committee (IASC) global guidance report on a comprehensive fuel strategy was endorsed, launched and disseminated.

• In the one year follow up of the Secretary General’s report to the Security Council on SC Resolution 1820, language was included on the important aspects of fuel and firewood and their relationship to sexual violence.

To keep refugee women and children safe:

• The publication of the children’s report, Halfway Home.

• The government’s decision to stop detaining families at the Hutto Detention Center.

• The government’s announcement to reform immigration detention policies and consider NGO input in how they do so.

General

• We launched a new name, branding and website.

• We celebrated our 20th anniversary with the Voices of Courage Awards luncheon.