Northern Refugee Centre

Improving services and opportunities for refugees and asylum seekers in the Yorkshire and Humber region.
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Women Refugees

0114 241 2734



Women's Conversation Clubs

Childcare

 Women's Voices

 

 Women

Women consitute over half of all settled asylum seekers and refugees in the UK. However, the specific needs of women are often overlooked in policy and practice. The Northern Refugee Centre works with refugee and asylum seeker women in Yorkshire and Humberside - from a grassroots to policy-making level - to ensure their voices are heard.
Click here to download our introductory information sheet about refugee women. (Women Asylum Seekers and Refugees An Introduction to the Issues - PDF-71k)

Gender sensitive services and community initiatives specifically targeting women are crucial because:
  • the asylum system and related services have traditionally ignored the experiences of women (Refugee Action, 2002); 
  • women refugees are often fleeing gender-based persecution which continues to impact on their daily lives;
  • some refugee women come from highly gender-segregated and patriarchal societies;
  • it is women who ordinarily have primary childcare responsibilities;
  • refugee women face a combination of gender and racial discrimination, particularly in the job market; and
  • some refugee women experience gender-based abuse in the UK, such as domestic violence.
The need for services addressing the specific development needs of refugee women is also set out in the Sheffield Refugee Integration Strategy 2005-2008.


Current NRC Initiatives to Address the Needs of Women
Women's Conversation Clubs: The Northern Refugee Centre runs and supports Women's Conversation Clubs in Yorkshire and Humberside. These are vital women-only services, providing opportunities to develop formal and informal support networks, practice English and develop skills. To find out more information Women's Conversation Clubs, including volunteer opportunities and information on how to set one up, please click on the link to the left of this page.

Childcare: Childcare provision is currently a huge barrier to women's integration. Very few services for refugees and asylum seekers delivered in the voluntary and statutory sector include provision of childcare for service users. It is overwhelmingly women who have primary childcare responsibilities, and the lack of provision seriously and disproportionately impacts on women's ability to access  education, training, volunteering, and employment. It also has a consequent negative impact on women's mental health. The Northern Refugee Centre is currently working to address the issue of childcare provision for refugees and asylum seekers. Please click on the link to the left of this page to find out what we have been doing and what you can do to address the issue of childcare. 
 
 Reg. Charity No. 1078816 Co. Limited by Guarantee No. 3872439 Imm. Advice OISC Ref: N200100496