In focus: World Refugee Day

Photo: UN Women/Mirjana Nedeva

Infographic | Video | Photo essay | Top stories | Social media | Take action

World Refugee Day is on 20 June. There are 22.5 million refugees around the world today, and half of them—some 11 million—are women and girls.

The average length of displacement is now 17 years or more, with entire generations born and raised in refugee camps, and spending a significant portion of their lives as refugees.

Humanitarian action needs to offer long-term solutions that protect and advance women’s rights, provide opportunities that help them thrive, and shape equal, just and more peaceful societies.

UN Women works with millions of people who have left their homes, loved ones and life as they knew, fleeing violence, persecution or disasters. We stand #WithRefugees.

Join us in supporting refugee women and girls around the world in their journey to safer futures.

Six essential objects for refugee women and girls

Today, 50 per cent of refugees uprooted from their homes from conflict, persecution or natural disasters are women and girls. Take a look at some of the objects that give women and girls agency and secure their health, dignity and rights. See more►

Video: A Syrian refugee in Lebanon – UN Women’s second virtual reality film

On World Refugee Day, step into the world of urban refugees, and follow one family as they navigate their new reality after a harrowing flight from Syria.

Photo essay: One woman's journey to find hope in Turkey, after escaping Syria

Photo: UN Women/Sinem Aydin Lopez

Fleeing the violence in Syria, Menal Suleyman has found a new life, and hope, in Turkey assisted by the "SADA Women-only Centre", a UN Women-led project in Gaziantep. Read more►

More stories

In the words of Retibe Bilal: “Life is beautiful. Resist, set a goal and never stop!”
Retibe Bilal is a Syrian refugee who has lived in Gaziantep, near Turkey’s border with Syria, since 2013. She describes how the SADA Women-only Centre, which provides livelihood skills and psycho-social services to refugee and local women in Gaziantep, helped her build her self-confidence, learn new skills, and transform herself. Read more►

UN Women report recommends recognition of gender-based violence as a basis for asylum
A report prepared by a team of international lawyers for UN Women finds that legal gaps in the European Union expose women survivors of gender-based persecution to the risk of being denied asylum. Read more►

Social media

Help us raise awareness about the needs and realities of women refugees! Show the world that you stand #WithRefugees via our social media kit that can be found here, available in English, Spanish and French.

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