Each year, tens of thousands of refugees fleeing violence and persecution resettle in the United States, including the Bay Area. Resettlement means a fresh start and opportunity, especially for adolescent girls whose futures had been limited by a lack of access to education and opportunities and restrictive ideas about  women. Here. these girls have the chance to improve themselves, their families, and their communities. The Vision Project aims to empower refugee girls and change perceptions within their communities by providing girls with the skills and support they need to envision a positive future, and ultimately achieve their goals. The project runs three week-long workshops each year with resettled refugee girls, and each week culminates in a personal photoshoot for each girl where they embody their future selves. 

With support from the International Rescue Committee, Susan Kayongo is able to run her own salon in Nairobi.

The Violence, Prevention and Response (VPR) unit implements programming that prevents violence against women, children, especially girls, and other vulnerable groups, and responds to it when it does occur.

From major cities to remote villages, women and girls worldwide face harassment, violence, discrimination and a lack of equal opportunities. These are the toughest places to be a woman today, according to IRC experts.

Through counseling and creative activities, thirteen-year-old Nada regained a sense of hope, security and confidence.

The IRC and the Georgetown Institute for Women Peace and Security's briefing highlights the disadvantages displaced women and girls face in terms of their justice, inclusion and safety and calling for targeted support.

Since 2011 the ongoing war in Syria, which was worsened by the earthquake near the border between Türkiye in February 2023, has displaced around 1.5 million Syrians into Lebanon. Protection intervention is still of vital importance for countless affected families - and especially for adolescent girls.

Twenty-five years after world leaders and activists created a roadmap for gender equality, how far have we come in advancing women's rights?