Women for Refugee Women challenges the injustices experienced by women who seek asylum in the UK.
We work to empower women who have sought sanctuary in the UK to speak out about their own experiences to the media, to policy-makers and at public events.
We aim to give a voice to women who are all too often unheard and unseen.
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Campaign for Lydia Besong
Lydia Besong is a playwright who is seeking asylum in the UK after being imprisoned and raped in Cameroon as a result of her political activities. Her threatened removal on Saturday 21 January 2012 was prevented at the last minute after a huge outcry, but our campaign continues until she is safe and granted leave to remain in the UK.
Women for Refugee Women produced a performance of Lydia's powerful play How I Became an Asylum Seeker in London in 2010, hosted by Juliet Stevenson. Together with English PEN, Women for Refugee Women sent an open letter to the Home Secretary Theresa May, asking her to reconsider Lydia's case for leave to remain in the UK. The letter was signed by a coalition of leading writers and actors, including Monica Ali, Alan Ayckbourn, Joan Bakewell, Nick Hornby, Helena Kennedy, Caitlin Moran, Michael Morpurgo and Juliet Stevenson.
Our campaign for Lydia has been covered in the Guardian, BBC Woman's Hour, and extensively throughout local media.
Michael Morpurgo, author of War Horse and ex-children's laureate, said: "I would ask, beg, the Home Secretary Theresa May to look again, think again and allow this remarkable woman the right to stay here and live among us."
Please join us in speaking up for this survivor of imprisonment and sexual violence. You can email messages of support for Lydia to This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. , or go here to find out more information and how to email Theresa May in support of Lydia.
I admire the work carried out by Women for Refugee Women. By telling the true stories of women and children in the asylum process they woke a lot of people up to the scandal of child detention.
Michael Morpurgo, author of War Horse
I have been delighted to support Women for Refugee Women since its launch- I've been truly inspired by the great work this organisation does, enabling women who seek asylum to speak out - whether at the grassroots or to government ministers.
Oona King
Many refugees and asylum seekers have fled their home countries because of human rights abuses. The work of agencies like Women for Refugee Women is vital for helping people rebuild their lives and have a voice.
Trevor Phillips OBE, chair of the Equality and Human Rights Commission
Put the word refugee in front of woman and immediately prejudice and projection arise. Meet a refugee woman, hear her struggles – and her joys – and you encounter a person, like you and me, who has been more than unlucky....
....Women for Refugee Women joins the dots, restores our humanity to ourselves and enables women to fight for theirs. Please support them.
Susie Orbach, psychotherapist and author of Bodies and Fat is a Feminist Issue
Read the stories of women who have come to the UK seeking asylum and find themselves detained, made destitute or in danger of deportation.
See photographs by women refugees who are documenting what home means to them. 
Find out what you can do alongside us to speak up for women refugees.