Women for Refugee Women are proud to sign up to the end Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG) sector call to action to end racism within our movement. Systemic racism causes harm to the women in our network and shapes how many refugee and asylum-seeking women experience violence, and their access to safety, support and justice.
Over the next six months we will:
- Establish a working group of trustees, team members and women from our network to develop a framework to ensure our all work meets the values and pledges set out in the anti-racism call to action.
- Develop and share an action plan for WRW to meet the commitments to which we’ve signed up.
- Work with colleagues on the VAWG sector anti-racism group to develop an anti-racism charter and support the work to tackle racism in the VAWG sector.
Women for Refugee Women is an organisation committed to challenging the injustices experienced by women who have sought asylum in the UK. We empower refugee and asylum-seeking women to speak out, become leaders and advocate for change. The values of anti-racism are at the centre of this work and we will continue to do everything in our power to tackle racism through care and collaboration.
The call to action is available at: www.endingracisminvawg.org
Priscilla Dudhia, Policy and Research Coordinator at Women for Refugee Women and member of the anti-racism working group that developed this call to action, says:
As a daughter of migrants, this work is very personal to me. A world in which refugee women are treated with dignity will never be possible unless we tackle deep-rooted injustices, such as the racism within the Home Office’s treatment of people who are seeking asylum. But in order to be legitimate in that fight, to make meaningful long-term change, we must first get our own houses into order. I am pleased that Women for Refugee Women have committed to the call to action, a journey that will involve difficult questions, openness and honesty, and of course practical changes – not just statements. I hope that others will join us too, so that we can all live in a kinder, more equal world.
Venus Abduallah, Office Manager at Women for Refugee Women, says:
“I am in awe of Priscilla and the amazing Black and minoritised women who worked so hard to bring about this call to action to end racism within our movement. As a Black African woman I have faced discrimination and racism while working in the charity sector in the UK. I do this work with love and solidarity to fight for social justice and create genuine change, but instead I have often felt disempowered, hindered and invisible. That is why this call to action is of special importance to me; it not only sets a framework and minimum standards for organisations to ensure their work is anti-racist, but it also paves the way for more accountability, meaningful reflection and radical change in the VAWG sector and eventually other sectors. I look forward to continue being part of developing Women for Refugee Women’s own anti-racist practice.”
Tuka Almaleh, Digital Inclusion Coordinator at Women for Refugee Women, says:
“When I first came to the UK, I thought that it would be a free country where all people are treated equally regardless of their background, appearance or skin colour. Apparently, I was wrong, and I have since been labelled and categorised in many ways. I struggle to free myself from the accusations and stereotypes that are only present in others’ minds. I really believe it is time to reinforce solidarity and stand together as human beings to fight racism. My thanks go to Priscilla and the Black and minoritised women who developed this call to action, for working to end racisms in our movement and for seeking a better world.”
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