Women’s Refugee Commission’s Day One Statement
As we enter this new era, the Women’s Refugee Commission remains committed to our mission to improve the lives and protect the rights of women and girls who are displaced by conflict and crisis, in the United States and around the world.
WRC works for a world where all people displaced by conflict and crisis are welcomed with dignity; are safe, healthy, and self-reliant; have their human rights and agency respected; and get the support and resources they need to rebuild their lives. That work, while never easy, is especially challenging now.
Today, here in the U.S., migrant women face profound threats to their health, safety, and ability to support themselves and their families. Already, the Trump administration has announced sweeping changes to immigration enforcement, including detention, deportation, family separation, and the end of the right to seek asylum. At the same time, we expect new policies that curtail access to essential healthcare for women and people who are LGBTQ+, including reinstatement of the “Global Gag Rule,” that will have profound consequences for women’s access to reproductive health services around the world.
WRC is dedicated to collecting evidence and educating policymakers and the public about the impact of these laws and policies on migrant women and families. We believe this work will be one of the strongest checks on executive power and needlessly harmful practices that most Americans do not in fact support.
Together, we will work in our communities, cities, and states to support our neighbors and keep families together; call on Congress to take action to uphold rights and continue life-saving services; and support immigrant women, who like all of us, are guided by their desire to keep their families safe and provide their children a chance at a productive future. We will also support each other.
We know the fight is long and that it is hard, but we stand firm in our commitment to the rights and safety of women and girls everywhere. Thank you for joining us.