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RECOGNITION: New awards will recognise the achievements of migrant women in the UK

A NEW awards ceremony is set to recognise the achievements of refugee women in the UK.

The Migrant & Refugee Woman of the Year Award aims to celebrate women who have migrated or fled persecution themselves but have also found time to provide essential support and leadership at grassroots level to other new Londoners attempting to start a new life in the city.

The event, which will be held in March at London’s South Bank Centre, is being organised by the Migrant and Refugee Communities Forum (MRCF) and supported by the Equals Coalition, IMKAAN, Oxfam, Refugee Women’s Association, ROSA and Women for Refugee Women.

CHALLENGES

A spokesperson for MRCF said “Migrating to a new country brings many challenges and it is often women who step forward and find solutions on behalf of a wider group and help more vulnerable members of the community. They fight for equality, challenge prejudice and come up with innovative, practical and strategic solutions for those in need and all the while working, studying and raising families.”

ACHIEVEMENTS

He added “We believe that the achievements and contribution of migrant and refugee women to London often go unnoticed. This is why we feel it is time to pause and say thank you to these committed and courageous individuals.”

The Award will be presented as part of the capital’s International Women’s Day celebrations on March 8 2012 with a view to it becoming an annual event.

The winner’s community or organisation will receive a £1,000 donation to spend on community work as she sees fit. They will also be offered mentoring support.

This support will be tailored to her needs and could be used to help her individually or for her community or organisation.