Saturday is World Refugee Day—and this year’s celebration is particularly meaningful, as it coincides with the 75th anniversary of the 1951 Refugee Convention, the cornerstone of international refugee protection. Born from the ashes of the Second World War, the Convention established a fundamental promise: People forced to flee war and persecution have a right to safety and protection.
For more than 35 years, WRC has worked to ensure that the Convention’s promise is fully realized for women and girls, who face unique risks and vulnerabilities as refugees, and who are too often excluded from the decisions that shape their futures.
While the Convention and its application have always been imperfect, for decades, it provided a path to protection and safety for millions of people worldwide. But now, at a time of record displacement, drastic humanitarian funding cuts, rising anti-refugee sentiment, and a growing backlash against gender equality and women’s rights, the fundamental promise underpinning the Convention is under unprecedented strain.
Now is the moment to recommit to the promise of protection—and to reaffirm the importance of including women and girls in humanitarian decision-making, peace-building, and designing long-term solutions to crisis and displacement that uphold their rights, dignity, and agency.
For the next six weeks, from World Refugee Day on June 20 through to the anniversary of the Convention on July 28, WRC will be sharing stories, statements, and statistics that illustrate just how essential the Convention is for women and girls—and how we must act to ensure it is upheld and improved for generations to come.
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In honor of resilient refugee women and girls, a generous donor is matching every gift made through July, up to $200,000. Donate today to make your support for our research and advocacy go twice as far!