providing inspirational models for change
providing inspirational models for change
When I visited London this year I found organisations doing extraordinary work with female migrants, working with the individual on issues as varied as detention and honour killings. I set out to learn from their work because I am setting up a group for migrant women in an area of the USA, where there are thousands of migrants – but no group specifically focusing on the needs of women.
From the Irish and German immigrants, whose progeny today comprise around a quarter of the total population, to the present-day Latin American community, the history the United States is in many ways a history of migrants. Throughout the country, many amazing organisations work with migrants, however some arrivals feel isolated and have unmet needs.
In Upstate New York where my University is based, I became aware of the challenges of isolation facing migrants in an area so far from major cities.
Between 1979 and 2014, 15,192 refugees alone arrived in Utica, a city of 60,000 people. Syracuse has had a similar experience with migration, housing large populations of refugees and immigrants relative to its modest population.
There are already organisations in these two cities that work with migrants, most notably Mohawk Valley Resource Centre. Such organisations provide support for basic needs, such as housing and English classes, which is extremely important. There is a somewhat significant gap, however, in support for the process of transitioning to becoming independent migrants pursuing their full potential in society.
What is most specifically lacking, moreover, is a group specifically focusing on the needs of women, who often have experienced and continue to experience very specific forms of abuse and suppression that are easily kept silent. Additionally, many women would benefit immensely from conversations about women-specific cultural differences in the United States.
Consequently, my vision has been to create an organisation that functions as a support group for female migrants from the Middle East living in the cities of Utica and Syracuse and creates a space where women can discuss their concerns and needs. In order to do so, I have sought to learn from the work being done by other organisations.
For the past few months, I’ve had the opportunity to study in London and during this time have been privileged enough to make contact with both some of the migrants living here and also those organizations that work with female migrants.
The organisations I met have been extraordinarily successful in empowering women and giving them the skills for independence and happiness in the UK. Each organisation has a unique approach. Perhaps their success can be attributed to the emphasis they place on the individual, working on a case-by-case basis, focusing on individualised support.
The Iranian and Kurdish Women’s Rights Organisation aids women and girls in the UK who are faced with “honour-based” violence, including forced marriage, female genital mutilation, and “honour killing”. This amazing organization has quite literally saved women’s lives in helping them avoid these atrocities.
“People may be isolated from their families and communities and that’s a very lonely, tough place to be in when they’re dealing with multiple other stresses,“ says Sara Browne, the organisation’s campaign officer.
“It might not be safe for you to return to your home country and you might also be in danger here from your community so you need an organisation like IKWRO to support you in practical ways. There’s lots of practical needs to keep you safe,” she emphasises.
One of its achievements was helping influence the government to make forced marriage illegal after about a decade of campaigning.
Simin Azimi, Director of the Refugee Women’s Association, has also had an impact in empowering women. The organisation was created to provide English-language skills to women, but it quickly learned that other issues were impeding the women’s ability to learn: “People’s problems change and we have to keep up with that and that is something we’ve been trying to do over the years - reinventing ourselves.”
Sarah Graham, Communications Executive for Women for Refugee Women, describes the importance of focusing exclusively on women migrants: “Women refugees have particular experiences and particular needs that make them vulnerable in different ways than male refugees. They need different support.”
Two areas of support have been campaigning for an end to the detention of pregnant women and pressure for improved treatment for female victims of sexual violence who are in detention.
Explaining the need for an individualised approach, Carolina Gottardo, Director of the Latin American Women’s Rights Services (LAWRS), told me, “We don’t see a woman as a person who comes to receive a service: we see her as an individual who needs to develop her potential as a migrant in a foreign country.”
Latin American migrants in Britain tend to be isolated, unlike their position in the US with its large Latino communities. They tend not to be recognised as a community: Latin Americans still have to tick the “Other” box when it comes to registering their ethnicity on official documents. LAWRS has been campaigning for recognition, and “Latin American” has been added as an ethnic option in four London boroughs.
Each of these organisations plays an important role in helping women reach their full potential, yet all four struggle to get funding. Says Sarah Browne from IKWRO: “A lot of our funding is through grants, but they [donors] have this thought that no charity should be reliant on them over time so you’re encouraged to move between grants. The government doesn’t support us in any meaningful way at all financially.”
Similarly, LAWRS has been struggling with money: “Demand [for our services] is increasing and at the same time there are more and more cuts to funding.”
The Refugee Women’s Association is looking for new sources of income by setting up enterprises that would earn an income.
“The problem with reliance is you need to fit the needs of the funders,” says Simin Azimi. She gives the example of funding received to provide English classes - but only for women who came to the UK on spousal visas. Others in the community were frustrated when they found they couldn’t attend English classes simply because their migration status was different.
My conversations with these women and their groups has been inspiring and will help me realise my vision of establishing an organisation in Syracuse and Utica that could improve many lives.
After all, as Sara Browne asked, “Why is it acceptable for one woman to have less justice than another?”
Latin American Women’s Rights Service:
Women for Refugee Women:
http://www.refugeewomen.co.uk/
Refugee Women’s Association:
http://www.refugeewomen.org.uk/
Iranian & Kurdish Women’s Rights Organization:
Diana Nammi’s Ted Talk: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nYqNM9SvRdY
Further Reading:
http://www.theatlantic.com/business/archive/2015/11/the-refugees-who-come-alone/415491/
http://www.infoplease.com/ipa/A0762137.html