What is called a ‘refugee crisis’ is not the influx of refugees but the crisis of inhumane and often abusive and cruel asylum systems, designed not to receive but to reject as many people as possible.

As the world watches, “a text book example of ethnic cleansing” and the world’s fastest-growing refugee crisis is underway in Myanmar (formerly known as Burma). AWID spoke to women activists in Myanmar to shed light on the different factors driving this unprecedented human rights and humanitarian crisis and its many gender dimensions.

In April, 1,500 Palestinian prisoners launched the largest collective hunger strike in years under the banner of freedom and dignity. AWID interviewed Palestinian feminist activists to learn more about what the hunger strike means to them and what they want feminists around the world to know about the strike.

The political crisis in the east African country Burundi has led to a wave of demonstrations and violence in the country, with deeply worrying consequences. AWID spoke to Nelly Kandatwa, President of the Burundian League for Women’s Rights “Mwubahirize,” and the SOS Women in Distress Network Burundi, to better understand the situation from a women’s rights perspective. 

To commemorate World Refugee Day, celebrated each year on June 20th, AWID spoke to Yasmine Flitti, Director of Finance and Administration with Comede (Committee for the Health of Exiles) and Hélène Rama Niang Diagne, President and Founder of FECSDA (Women Education Culture Health and Development in Africa), to learn more about the issues and challenges of migration in the Mediterranean region from a feminist perspective.

FRIDAY FILE: As we commemorate the 16 Days of Activism against Gender-based Violence (25 November to 10 December) under the theme “let’s challenge militarism and end gender-based violence”, AWID speaks to Lisa Davis, Human Rights Advocacy Director at MADRE, and to Nurcan Baysal, Kurdish activist and writer for the Turkish electronic journalT24, to learn more about the sexual and other violations of women’s and girls’ rights with the insurgency of the self-proclaimed "Islamic State in Iraq and Syria” (ISIS).

FRIDAY FILE: Kyrgyzstan – a country in Central Asia – has been wracked recently by an outbreak of violence by some Kyrgyz there against ethnic Uzbeks. AWID analyses the events from a gender perspective.

The position of the Women Human Rights Defenders International Coalition on the aftermath of the earthquake in Haiti

Human rights are often set aside as an ‘extra’ in emergency response, i.e.,there is no time to assess the specific issues, we go with what we know’. -Jane Barry

FRIDAY FILE: Conflict, violence, famine and natural disasters are just a few reasons why women are forced to flee their homes and become displaced. To better understand the situation of women refugees and internally displaced women in Africa, AWID interviewed Yifat Susskind, MADRE’s Executive Director.

As part of AWID member profile stories, Ngozi Cole tells about her journey and how she found her identity as a feminist.