Welcome

Welcome to the new look website of ANCORW Co-operative Limited, the Australian National Committee on Refugee Women.

80 percent of the worlds 20 million refugees are women and their dependent children. They are forced to flee from their homes and their countries, in danger of their lives. They often suffer violence, rape and sexual abuse, torture, hunger, and loss of everything they hold dear. Family members are lost or killed. Refugee camps are often as dangerous as the places from which they have escaped. Refugee women are strong and resourceful . Despite all that they suffer, they protect their families, maintain their culture and rebuild shattered communities once conflict is over. When resettled in developed countries, the women take the role of supporting their families to settle into a new and strange environment

ANCORW was established as a vehicle for supporting these women, both within Australia and internationally.

Some of the photographs used on this site are from refugee camps visited by ANCORW representatives in Ethiopia, Kenya, Thailand, Sri Lanka and India. Others have been graciously approved for use by UNHCR.

Women at Risk Resettlement Research

This important research is being undertaken by ANCORW in partnership with the Centre for Refugee Research, UNSW. More information about this project will be posted on a new website currently being developed. Be sure to visit again and check progress.

African Women's Advocacy Training Program

The African Women’s Advocacy Unit (AWAU) has run an advocacy based training programme for the past two years, for African women, leaders, and all members of African communities. The training programme aims to build the capacities of women from African countries who live in Australia towards self representation. The training aims to assist women to find and/or create the spaces needed for this. This programme is funded by Federal Government Department of Immigration and Citizenship

Meet some of the graduates from the 2006 training programme HERE.

Submissions

Recent CRR/ANCORW Submissions:

Submission on Australia's 2006/7 Humanitarian Program

Submission regarding the settlement of African humanitarian entrants in NSW.