Women for Refugee Women supports women who are seeking refuge from persecution, including rape and torture, to rebuild their lives and communicate their own stories.

We believe that every woman who comes to the UK in search of safety deserves a fair hearing and the chance to rebuild her life with dignity. But too often, women find new challenges when they arrive here and their stories are silenced or denied, with many women becoming homeless, hungry and at risk of further abuse, or locked up in immigration detention.

The Covid-19 pandemic and the increasingly hostile rhetoric around migration have made the last year even more difficult for refugee and asylum-seeking women to find safety and move forwards in their lives. Against this harsh backdrop of challenges, women seeking asylum are energetically advocating for a fairer world for all, with huge creativity and strength.

This year we welcomed our new Director, Alphonsine Kabagabo, to the team; supported hundreds of refugee women through this challenging period; worked with journalists to share women’s stories with wide audiences; continued our work with policy makers to advocate for a fairer asylum process and enjoyed real moments of solidarity and sisterhood.

We are so proud that we were able to sustain and grow our work this year. This brief review shares some of our highlights from April 2020 to March 2021.

We are so grateful to all of our supporters who made this work possible. It is with thanks to your compassion and generosity that we have been able to support refugee women through this difficult period and continue to advocate for a fairer and more welcoming asylum process.

We hope you enjoy reading it!