WOMEN'S COMMISSION FOR REFUGEE WOMEN AND CHILDREN
www.womenscommission.org
Note: The Women's Commission for Refugee Women and Children changed its name to the "Women's Refugee Commission" in 2009.
Mission/Mandate:
“The Women’s Commission’s mission is to improve the lives and defend the rights of refugee women, youth and children.” (Women’s Commission for Refugee Women and Children Website, http://www.womenscommission.org/about/, accessed on 28 January 2008)
“The Women's Commission is an expert resource and advocacy organization that monitors the care and protection of refugee women and children. It speaks out on issues of concern to refugee and displaced women, children and adolescents, who have a critical perspective in bringing about change but often do not have access to governments and policy makers. It also provides opportunities for refugee women and youth to speak for themselves through briefings, testimony, participation in field assessments and international conferences.” (Women’s Commission for Refugee Women and Children Website, http://www.womenscommission.org/about/facts.php, accessed on 28 January 2008)
Target group:
International community; female asylum seekers and children.
Objective:
“We work in consultation with refugee women, children and young people to ensure that their voices are heard. We seek solutions to seemingly intractable problems by:
- Assessing and monitoring the situation of refugee women, children and young people through research, field visits and consultation;
- Identifying and documenting the widely overlooked problems and issues that affect refugee women, children and young people;
- Developing and promoting policies and practices that will lead to real on-the-ground change by advocating to policy makers, key organizations, donors and the public to ensure their implementation.
- Through our advocacy, we ensure that refugee women's, children's and young people's voices are heard in the halls of power and taken into account in the decision-making process.
Our work contributes to long-term solutions, thereby lessening the likelihood of continuing cycles of conflict and displacement.” (Women’s Commission for Refugee Women and Children Website, http://www.womenscommission.org/about/, accessed on 28 January 2008)
Funding:
The Women’s Commission is “supported by private donations from individuals and grants from foundations, corporations, the United Nations and governments” (Women’s Commission for Refugee Women and Children: Fact Sheet, January 2008, http://www.womenscommission.org/pdf/fctsht08.pdf, accessed on 28 January 2008).
Scope of reporting:
Geographic focus: Worldwide.
Reporting methodology:
“Professional staff--experts in health care, anthropology, gender, children and refugee law--travel to refugee camps, detention centers and other areas where there are thousands of displaced families, to conduct field research, technical training, and convene meetings. In addition, the Women's Commission sends fact-finding delegations of professional women to meet with refugee women and children around the world and learn first-hand of their needs and conditions. Recent delegations have traveled to Darfur and southern Sudan, Colombia, Liberia and Thailand.” (Women’s Commission for Refugee Women and Children website, http://www.womenscommission.org/about/facts.php, accessed on 28 January 2008)
Publication cycle:
Reports, Studies and Investigations; Annual Reports; Newsletter; Guidelines, Tools and Manuals.
Program Areas: Children and adolescents; detention and asylum; protection programme; gender in humanitarian emergencies; reproductive health; general resources (Women’s Commission for Refugee Women and Children Website, http://www.womenscommission.org/resources/, accessed on 28 January 2008).
Language:
English.
Navigation of website:
Resources - Reports, Studies and Investigations; Guidelines, Tools and Manuals; Newsletters and Annual Reports (Women’s Commission for Refugee Women and Children Website, http://www.womenscommission.org/resources/, accessed on 28 January 2008).
Additional references:
