This policy brief provides an overview of the entrenched gender inequalities and vulnerabilities which affected women and girls before the war and which have been exacerbated over the past 4 years.

Meet five refugee women—as diverse as former United States Secretary of State Madeleine Albright to rapper M.I.A.—who have made a mark on history.

On a sunny Thursday afternoon in Berlin, the sound of children’s laughter reached to the rafters at Tempelhof, the historic former airport of West Berlin. They had gathered there for an afternoon of play to mark the official launch of Berlin Kickt, a unique partnership between the International Rescue Committee, Nike and the organization, buntkicktgut – cross cultural street football leagues. The project brings the unifying power of play and the universal language of soccer to children, including recently arrived refugees in primary schools across Berlin.

Engaging girls is important – to reduce their exposure to harm and to expand the vital role they can play in shaping their own lives and communities. This is the reason the International Rescue Committee brings together groups of girls to explore their power and potential and cultivate essential skills.