On 14 February 2020, we are holding the fourth National Refugee Women’s Conference, this time in Birmingham.

The Home Office continues to make women who have come to the UK to seek safety homeless, hungry and vulnerable to further abuse. So, this year, the conference will be focussing on growing and supporting grassroots campaigns against destitution.

The conference is organised by Women for Refugee Women together with our wonderful partner organisations: Women with Hope, WAST Manchester, CARAG, Refugee Women Connect, and other grassroots groups. It will bring together refugee and asylum-seeking women, and others, from across the UK for a day of learning and building solidarity – as well as some poetry and singing!

Everyone is welcome! There’s still time to book your tickets here.

This week, refugee and asylum-seeking women in our London network told us why they want to come to the conference. This is what they said:

As I am seeking asylum, I feel that my participation will contribute to generating new knowledge. I am looking forward to networking and sharing my ideas and experiences.

This will be my first conference. I am looking forward to meeting new people and discussing the challenges that we face as refugees. It will be a great opportunity for me to meet other women and tell them about our Rainbow Sisters group.

I will be getting to meet more people like myself.

I want to exchange ideas and speak out my mind about what I know and what needs to change. As a woman it will be good for me to associate with other women.

I would like to take part in this conference to know more about the experiences of other women who are destitute. I took part in the Storytelling with a Purpose course last year and I would like to gain more experience and confidence sharing my story to the public.

I would like to take part in the conference to support all refugee women and to have the chance to express myself about the difficult situation that I have been through.

I would like to see a new place and make new friends.

I want to get involved and learn from others.

I want to learn more about how to be a strong woman.

I always enjoy going to a conference where I can be part of something interesting and give my point of view.

As a destitute woman myself, I want to join the movement to end destitution. To be destitute is particularly hard for women like me who have young children. I worry that my child will be homeless, unable to join activities at school and will fall in with the wrong crowd. I want to support other women for a better future.

I want to take part in the campaign against destitution and talk about my own experience: the hardship and the frustration.

I would like to take part in the conference to be involved in different workshops, to connect to different people and above all to be able to speak and ask questions about the steps being taken to end destitution.

I would like to improve my knowledge and communication skills.

A fairer, more equal world is possible. Be part of the change!

Join us at the conference on 14 February! For more information about the speakers, workshops and delicious lunch provided by Change kitchen, please head to our Eventbrite page, where you can also book your tickets.