International Women's Day event draws 120 people

Speakers focused on women refugees during a panel collaboration between the University of Nottingham and Nottingham Trent University

On March 8, the Centre for Research in Race and Rights and the Research Priority Area in Rights and Justice Priority Area (University of Nottingham), with the Centre for Conflict, Rights and Justice (Nottingham Trent University) hosted a panel discussion about women refugees to mark International Women’s Day. 120 people gathered to listen and debate. Dr Helen O’Nions from Nottingham Trent University outlined the legal challenges facing women asylum seekers in the UK and Dr Leah Bassel from the University of Leicester discussed her efforts to recover the voices of refugee women. Victoria Mponda and Edith Lucky-Uweh from the Women’s Culture Exchange talked about the support their group provides to women asylum seekers in Nottingham, and Faith Gakanje of the African Women’s Empowerment Forum recalled her own experiences of the UK’s asylum process. Finally, Dr. Olga Bailey from Nottingham Trent University drew attention to some of the practical and emotional challenges facing refugee women in the UK. Chaired by C3R's Hannah Durkin, with support for a post-event reception from the RPA and organisational support from Andrea Nicholson of CCRJ, the event was the first in a new collaboration between C3R, the RPA and the CCRJ, and celebrated Women's History Month as well as International Women's Day.