Christelle, a refugee from the Democratic Republic of Congo, is an aspiring actress and model, a college student, and a resettlement assistant at the IRC, helping other refugees start their new lives. She is also a cherished friend to some of the first people who welcomed her to Boise, including Janna Brown, 29, and Charlee Andree, 16.

In the fall of 1995, then-first lady Hillary Rodham Clinton told an audience of world leaders and activists gathered in Beijing for the Fourth World Conference for Women: “Human rights are women's rights….And women's rights are human rights.” That conference resulted in more than a famous speech: it produced the Beijing Platform for Action, a roadmap for gender equality across the globe.  Twenty-five years later, how far have we come in ad

When Robert Sebatware met Dave Kurz, he and his wife had just arrived in the U.S. as refugees from the Democratic Republic of Congo. Robert hoped his new friend, an IRC staff member, could mentor him in the ways of America. Years later, Robert is the one helping newcomers to America and the two men and their families have developed a bond that goes beyond friendship.

“What a man can do, a woman should do too.” We couldn’t agree more. Meet women's activists working to stop violence against women from our Listen Up program, which aims to amplify the voices and power of refugee women and girls.

What can governments, business and other sectors do to systematically boost the inclusion and empowerment of refugees, particularly girls and women? On the 25th anniversary of the Beijing Platform for Action, which seeks to advance women’s rights, IRC president and CEO David Miliband and IRC volunteer Lilian Dawa discuss the progress being made on gender equality with former U.S.