"We are not aliens. We are humans trying to rebuild our lives."

Women Graduates-USA brought together four diverse women to discuss the challenges to economic empowerment faced by refugee and migrant women on Saturday, March 18 on the 10th Floor of the Church Center of the United Nations.

Immigrant Women & Precarious Work, Rosetta Adera, DM, New Jersey, Refugee from Rwanda

Precarious work is characterized by variable levels and degrees of objective (legal) and subjective (feeling) insecurity and has four dimensions: temporal (low job security), organizational (lack of control over conditions, pay, health & safety, etc.), economic (poor pay, wage robbery), and social (lack of collective voice and legal protection). This type of work is the reality for many refugees and migrants, and the effects are increased poverty and a lack of voice. Women are silenced, left powerless to change their condition due to the threat of losing their job if they speak up. Lack of documentation, which is a barrier to attaining better, stable employment, is particularly a problem for refugees - "When your country goes up in flames, you don't look for papers. You pick up and run." 

Psychological Aspects of Adjustments, Cynthia Grguric, PhD, New York 

Refugees and migrants go through three stages of resettling. Most psychological treatment is focused on the "pre-, contemplative" stage (are they supported, what pressures are pushing or pulling them) and "during" the period of travel (physical, emotional, and psychological traumas); however, "post stressors" remain prevalent for the first two years and only begin to decrease after five years.  The struggle between acculturation and assimilation is relevant as they gain a sense of grounding in their new settings. Economic dependency can cause guilt and pressure from back home, while feelings of loneliness and powerlessness make establishing a sense of belonging incredibly difficult, which can sometimes lead to violence. Particular pressures are put on children, who have to act as interpreters for their parents while trying to fit in at school. Culture is the glue that holds people and communities together - individual perceptions of national identity play an important role in the process. In order for refugees and migrants to successfully adjust, local communities must make the effort to reach out, practice cultural sensitivity, and provide connection and support for newcomers. 

Ramifications of Addiction, Jeanette Westbrook, Social Worker, Kentucky 

Refugees and migrants are particularly profiled and targeted by the criminal (in)justice system through DUIs, which can be used as grounds to prevent citizenship for five years and remains on record for life. Two DUI offenses are grounds for deportation, however refugees are being deported for just one offense. The main problem is that refugee settlements are doing a poor job of educating refugees about DUI laws. They may not have had DUI laws back home and often lack experience with alcohol. "The lack of access to that education and information is an institutionalized barrier." The pressure to "be American, have a beer" is thus used to criminalize and deport refugees and immigrants. 

A Personal Story, Martine Tchitchihe, UPenn, Refugee from Cameroon

After receiving threats from Boko Haram, an extremist terrorist group, Martine came to the United States in October 2014. Luckily, she was told to bring all of her documentation prior to leaving her country, which has made circumstances slightly easier. Immigration websites claim that it takes 45 days to get asylum, however Martine knows women who have waited for 11 years. Moreover, each time a refugee has to retell her story, she is forced to relive it, which has psychological effects, and if she forgets or mistakes one detail of her story, she will not be granted asylum. Martine profusely thanked her friends from Peace Corps Cameroon and UPenn, many of whom where in the audience. She cites them as her support system; they made her refugee journey to the United States possible, and keep her going every day. However, one word remains stuck in her head - "alien," a xenophobic term often used to refer to refugees and migrants. She states, "We are not aliens. We are humans trying to rebuild our lives." Martine, along with the other panelists, extended a call to action for participants to befriend at least one refugee or migrant, act as their mentor and advocate, and promote understanding in their community. 

The Barriers Preventing the Empowerment of Refugee Women and Children

“We must face this head on,” Lisa Szarkowski, a representative from UNICEF, spoke of the impending consequences of ignoring the Syrian refugee crisis. She continued to state that leaders of the world must come together to address this issue as a collective. Without significant and genuine efforts from countries in a position to help, refugees will continue to feel displaced and remain vulnerable to exploitation.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/dfid/ . CC BY 2.0

Lebanon and Greece, among a group of countries that have experienced a vast influx of refugees, are attempting to pull together resources and solutions to support this growing population. In Lebanon, faith-based actors and institutions are specifically reaching out to support incoming refugees, often times without the approval from the surrounding community or government. In Greece, the government is looking to integrate refugees within the formal education system. Dr. Vasileia Digidiki, a psychologist from Harvard University, said, “education should be a priority… as it is a protective factor for [refugee children].” But even these countries efforts, whether they are grassroots initiatives or government mandates, are not fully providing for and empowering the vulnerable refugee population, which is especially true for women and children.

Considering refugees are forced to leave their homes, Szarkowski asked, “where would you have them go?” No one country can handle the resources and support it takes to care for this many refugees yet countries that have the capacity to step in are not doing so. The biggest issue is that both receiving countries and refugees themselves are not facing the reality of the situation. Both parties see this as a temporary displacement where refugees will soon return back home. But Szarkowski made it clear that is it vital we face this as a permanent issue that must be addressed with long-term solutions.

Long-term education plan needed for Syrian refugee women and children

By Andrea Moran


Six years ago this week, the Syrian Civil War began. 

Since 2011, the conflict has displaced over 11 million people, the majority being women and children. A packed room at the CSW event, “Empowering Refugee Women Through Education and Employment” on March 13th only reflected the urgency of the issue.

Fatimah, a Syrian refugee.

As the war continues, governments and civil society organizations are under pressure to find long-term solutions for refugee education and employment needs. As the conversation turns from temporary assistance to long-term integration planning, a myriad of challenges stand in the way: from inadequate NGO resources to conflicts in perception between EU nations about who is responsible for providing this assistance.

Lebanon 

In Lebanon, a nation with over 1 million registered refugees, civil society and religious-based organizations are stepping in to fill gaps when the government can't provide financial or social services. The World Society of Christian Federations (WSCF) is one of those organizations, but funding is running out, said Mira Neimah, an Executive Member of the organization. At the end of the day, Neimah said, “(WSCF) has to remain a church and not a social service agency,” speaking to the mounting pressures to provide for so many with so few resources.

In Lebanon, refugees must "register" in order to be eligible for legal employment, education, and healthcare. Without legal access, many refugees are stuck in poverty. In 2015, Lebanon suspended new registration and put new registration policies in place that made it difficult for registered refugees to renew their status. Around 70 percent of Syrians in Lebanon lack legal status, as documented by Human Rights Watch's 2017 World Report.

Greece

The situation is Greece is also urgent, on a different scale.

Since Greek islands are frequently the first point of entry for many refugees crossing the Mediterranean, the islands are viewed as a “temporary” place, and therefore, refugees can only access informal education on the island. Greece currently has 63,000 refugees on its islands, and no long-term plan for their educational needs on the islands, Dr. Vasileia Digidiki, a visiting scholar at Harvard University's FBX Center for Human Rights. However, children can remain on the islands for over 6 months, and the need to provide formal schooling is crucial, she said. Formal schooling can provide a “normal education environment” for these children and help mitigate some of the destabilizing effects of forced migration, she said.

On the Greek mainland, despite suffering from a financial crisis, the Greek government is working to make public school accessible to refugees. The language barrier remains an issue for many Syrian refugee children, especially those who arrive with disrupted education and need to catch up. Despite these obstacles, the Greek government is trying to integrate the children.

The panel featured leaders from UNICEF to civil society organizations.

Higher Education

Long-term education planning is also crucial for adolescents, a group that can be overlooked by emergency education programming, which tends to focus on primary schooling, said Lisa Szarkowsi, UNICEF's Vice President of Humanitarian Emergencies and Executive Communications. However, as the war continues, and these children grow up, the need to provide vocational training and higher education is crucial to ensuring this population is able to build a future, and not fall victim to extremist recruitment or sexual trafficking and exploitation. Szarkowsi said the conversation about higher education is critical now, as the question turns to: “Where is this (programming) going next, as they’re getting older?”

Other Resources:

• Humanitarian Overview: Syria - UNICEF
• Education Report - United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR)