16 Days of Activism: Awareness to Accountability - World Refugee and Migration Council

Virtual Conference — 17 December 2021 | 15:00–17:00 CET

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A virtual event hosted by Global Independent Refugee Women Leaders (GIRWL) in partnership with the World Refugee & Migration Council (WRMC) to mark the end of 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence taking place annually from 25th of November (International Day of the elimination of violence against women) to 10th of December (Human Rights Day).

Building on the momentum from GIRWL’s 2020 event, this highly interactive event will share outcomes from GIRWL’s Report Refugee Women: Unpacking Gender-based Violence, and seek expert insight on how to collaboratively move from awareness to action and accountability in preventing and responding to Gender-Based Violence, enabling women as agents of change, and the role of women-led initiatives on gender, climate and security.

GIRWL employs Refugee women-led spaces for knowledge sharing and solutions planning towards transformational, sustainable and gender-just change.

Read GIRWL’s report Refugee Women: Unpacking Gender-based Violence

Agenda

Introduction and Welcome Remarks

Anila Noor

Co-founder, Global Independent Refugee Women Leaders; co-founder of the European Coalition; Founder and Head of New Women Connectors

Rosemary McCarney

World Refugee & Migration Council and James Coutts Scholar in International Relations, Trinity College, and Diplomat in Residence, Massey College

Andrea M. Ayala

Co-founder, Global Independent Refugee Women Leaders; Lesbian Human Rights Defender

Refugee Women: Unpacking Gender-based Violence

Presentation of key findings from GIRWL’s report, Refugee Women: Unpacking Gender-based Violence, followed by a moderated discussion where participants will have the opportunity to briefly reflect on the report and offer insight into the current state of action on preventing and responding to gender-based violence.

Nora Zaid

Refugee woman from Afghanistan

From Commitment to Collective Action: Enabling Women as Agents of Change

How can collective action enable systemic change and ensure that women are centered and enabled as agents of change. What could accountability mechanisms for perpetrators and enabling systems look like and how can we move from recommending to implementation.

MODERATOR — Najeeba Wazefadost

Co-founder, Global Independent Refugee Women Leaders, Refugee and Gender Advocate, founding member of Global Refugee-Led Network and Asia Pacific Network of Refugees

Amina Hersi

Head of Gender Rights and Justice, Oxfam International

Jacqueline Hart

Senior Director for Gender and Strategy, Women’s Refugee Commission

Naima Isa

Co-chair Advocacy, Policy and Research Committee, Youth Against Slavery Movement

Gender, Climate and Security — Advancing the Role of Refugee Women-led Initiatives

Participants will share their perspectives from the High-Level Officials Meeting during this panel and discussions will focus on the need to increase financial and political support for advancing gender equality through refugee-led initiatives, especially refugee women-led initiatives.