Women's Refugee Commission

Established in New York, New York, in 1989 as part of the International Rescue Committee. It advocates for laws, policies, and programs to improve the lives and protect the rights of refugee and internally displaced women, children, and adolescents.

The Women's Refugee Commission, originally known as the Women's Commission for Refugee Women and Children, was founded in 1989 by Catherine O'Neill, Liv Ullmann, Susan Forbes Martin, and Susan Stark, with the support of the International Rescue Committee (IRC). Mary Anne Schwalbe served as the founding director, from 1989 to 1994. She was followed by executive directors Mary Diaz, 1994-2004, Carolyn Makinson, 2004-2010, and Sarah Costa, 2010 to the present. The organization aims to ensure that the voices of refugee women are heard and to provide these women and their families with the best opportunities for safe, productive lives and a future without fear.

Today there are several programs within the Women's Refugee Commission, including Reproductive Health, Fuel & Firewood Initiative, Livelihoods, Youth, Disabilities, Detention & Asylum, and Gender. To address the needs of displaced women, children, and youth, the WRC staff works with local humanitarian groups to document best practices, propose solutions, and lobby for improvements in refugee policies and protections within the United States and at the United Nations.

For more information on the activities and history of the Women's Refugee Commission, visit their website: www.womensrefugeecommission.org