Women's Refugee Commission

Adolescent Girls

Opinion: Safe spaces can unlock girls’ potential — when we get it right

According to the Population Council, conventional programs designed for young people do not reach the most marginalized girls. If we want to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals, we cannot overlook the world’s 200 million poorest girls. The I’m Here approach, developed by the Women’s Refugee Commission and the Population Council, can help identify and include the most vulnerable adolescent girls in safe spaces.

Humanitarian Settings a Key Focus At Family Planning Summit

2017 Family Planning Summit Marks First Time Humanitarian Settings is Elevated as a Specific Area of Focus

London, UK – Marking five years since the inaugural 2012 London Summit on Family Planning, donors, governments, NGOs, agencies, and advocates to London gathered in London today to assess progress on the original goal to empower 120 million additional women and girls in the 69 lowest income to use modern contraception by 2020.

While progress has been made – since the original commitment 30 million additional women and girls are using modern contraception – current progress is not on track to achieve the 2020 goals. According to providers, implementers, and advocates, one of the areas where family planning services have not been prioritized by donors and governments is in humanitarian settings.

Syria: Seven Years, 11 Million People, No End in Sight

In March, the Syrian conflict enters into its seventh year. This protracted war has created nearly 5 million refugees and 6 million internally displaced persons (IDPs). In Lebanon, one in five people in the country are Syrian refugees; there are more than 600,000 Syrian refugees in Jordan; and there are more than 2.5 million Syrian refugees living in Turkey.

Since 2013, the WRC has been at the forefront of humanitarian efforts to research and develop guidance for the women, children, and youth refugees affected by the Syrian crisis.

Women's Refugee Commission at CSW61

Women's Refugee Commission will be participating in the 61^st session of the Commission on the Status of Women at the United Nations Headquarters in New York.

This year’s theme is women’s economic empowerment in the changing world of work, with an additional focus on empowering indigenous women.

The sessions begin on Monday, March 13 and will run through March 24, 2017.

Protecting Women Refugees As Part Of International Women’s Day

International Women’s Day, is a global celebration of women everywhere. It is a rallying call—both for reflection on how far we’ve come, and for accelerating momentum towards gender equality. Core to achieving our agenda is the prevention of all forms of violence against women. Despite notable progress over the decades, thousands of women have recently been dealt a serious and potentially deadly setback: The women who are refugees and asylum seekers looking to the U.S. for safety and protection.

Violence against women is still endemic, and this is particularly the case in humanitarian crises. It cannot be overstated: Women who are fleeing conflict and persecution face heightened risks of gender-based violence, including sexual assault, early and forced marriage, female genital cutting, trafficking and exploitation. Such pervasive violence incurs very high costs for individual women, their families, and their communities. It stymies progress to achieving gender equality and internationally agreed upon development goals.

On the campaign trail, President Trump promised to “protect women” and stated, “I love women. I respect women. I cherish women.”

I beg to differ on at least five fronts: