The Refugee Council is committed to campaigning for an asylum system that better meets the needs of refugee women. But the most powerful advocates for refugee women are refugee women themselves. For this reason, Influencing Women aims to empower and support refugee and asylum seeking women to influence the policies and practices that have such a profound impact on their lives.
Methodology
Working with existing grassroots networks and community organisations led by refugee and asylum seeking women, this project will provide opportunities for women, and their organisations, to advocate for a more gender sensitive asylum system.
Through the provision of workshops and specialised training, Influencing Women will build on the existing skills of refugee women, increasing their understanding of the influencing process, developing public speaking skills and equipping them to speak out about the changes they want to see.
The project will seek to increase refugee women’s access to forums and platforms where they can raise awareness among politicians, opinion-formers, the media and the wider public and get their voices heard in the debates that affect them.
Campaign goals
The Refugee Council is an active partner in the Charter of Rights of Women Seeking Asylum coordinated by Asylum Aid. The Charter calls on the UK Border Agency to commit to treating women seeking asylum with fairness, dignity and respect. This means creating a system which recognises the particular issues which cause women to seek asylum and understands their particular needs as women.
The Charter highlights that women have the right to accommodation and support appropriate to their needs as women. This is a key area of expertise within the Refugee Council as we advise thousands of women each year on their entitlement to asylum support and accommodation, and see firsthand the devastating impact of a support regime that fails to meet women’s needs or protect them and their children from destitution and poverty. The project will continue the Refugee Council’s ongoing work of seeking policy change in these areas.
However, ultimately, asylum seeking and refugee women, and the partner organisations that support them, will inform the campaign goals of the project. The experiences and views of women involved in the project will also inform the wider advocacy work of the Refugee Council.
Learning
The project represents a crucial learning opportunity for the Refugee Council. We know from our direct work with clients, that the asylum process dehumanises and disempowers. Working in partnership with grassroots networks led by refugee women, we hope to learn how best to include and empower people to speak out about the change they want to see.
If you are a refugee or asylum seeking woman, or you work with women seeking asylum, and would like to get involved, we’d be delighted to hear from you. Please contact Anna Musgrave, Women’s Advocacy and Influencing Officer on anna.musgrave@refugeecouncil.org.uk / 020 7346 1031.
