Panelists, from left to right: Paddy Siyanga Knudsen, Lead Coordinator of the African Non-State Actors Platform on Migration and Development, George Ocen, Advocacy Officer with LWF Uganda, Johanna Morales, coordinator of the Migrant Pastoral office of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Colombia, and Kathy Parsons, Program Director of migration policy at the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. Photo: Compilation by Johanan Celine Valeriano
At Commission on the Status of Women, LWF highlights work to bring justice for displaced, migrant, refugee women and girls
(LWI) - Access to justice for women and girls was the central theme for the 70th session of the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women (CSW), which wraps up its two-week gathering on 20 March. But for the millions of refugees and migrant women living in makeshift camps, or on the move in search of safety and stability, any talk of justice can seem like a distant dream, impossible to achieve.
At an event, hosted by the Lutheran World Federation (LWF) as part of its regular participation in CSW, delegates highlighted ways in which churches and faith-based organizations are responding to this injustice. In countries around the globe, they are helping women and girls on the move to access free legal counselling, enjoy protection against sexual and gender-based violence, understand and claim their rights, and ensure that their voices are heard in the halls of power where national and international migration policies are drawn up.
In opening remarks, Rev. Jussi Luoma from Finland, who serves as chair of the LWF Council Committee for Advocacy and Public Voice, noted that LWF’s advocacy on behalf of women and girls, “is grounded in the conviction that every person is created with dignity and that justice must be accessible not only in courts and institutions, but in the daily realities of safety, opportunity and voice.” Panelists from Africa, Latin America and the United States shared ways in which the LWF and partners work alongside refugees, migrants and host communities to ensure that women can access legal assistance, protection, education and livelihoods, often becoming leaders and advocates within their own communities.
Supporting and empowering women in Uganda
George Ocen serves as Advocacy Officer with LWF Uganda, in a country which plays host to over 1.9 million refugees, one of the highest numbers in the world. He spoke of barriers facing women who lack the different documents and identification cards that refugees are expected to carry with them at all times. Women often leave the settlements to find work, he noted, and so are unable to dedicate time for appointments to update their documents.
Without these documents, he said, they lose access to food aid, as well as free legal aid. They do not meet requirements for bail if arrested and cannot provide sureties to help other family members secure release from jail. Many are routinely stopped by police who demand money if they cannot provide the necessary papers. Ocen shared the story of one woman, whose son, Hassan, was arrested, while she had been unable to renew her identification papers. “We engaged the office of the Prime Minister, then the UN Refugee Agency,” he said. “Together they worked and verified the truth about her status, her new attestation card was printed and she was able to provide surety for her son, so he was successfully released.”
Ocen noted that Uganda’s laws on gender equality are very progressive, including land ownership and inheritance rights, as well as prevention of sexual and gender-based violence, yet most women at the grassroots are unaware of their rights. In response, LWF has done awareness raising, set up emergency phone lines and free legal aid clinics with lawyers offering advice, introduced mobile courts where refugees can learn more about access to legal processes, and supported community structures that can often resolve disputes.
Justice means recognizing her dignity, listening to her stories, guaranteeing her protection and opportunities to rebuild her life, so that no woman on the move feels invisible or alone.
Johanna Morales, coordinator of the Migrant Pastoral office of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Colombia
In Colombia too, the LWF accompanies thousands of Venezuelan women and children seeking access to basic services such as protection, education and healthcare, said Johanna Morales, coordinator of the Migrant Pastoral office of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Colombia. She noted that her country is home to one of the major migration routes across the American continent, currently hosting up to 3 million Venezuelan refugees.
Reflecting on the meaning of justice for women, she told the story of one young, pregnant mother with two small children who left Venezuela with her husband but was separated from him when they were stopped by one of the many armed groups in Colombia. Desperate to find him again, she accepted a lift from a truck driver, but during the upheaval she suffered a hemorrhage and had to stop at a health center where she lost the baby she was expecting.
By the time she arrived at the church office, Morales recalled, she was traumatized, unable to speak and unwilling to trust anyone. Recounting the support that her office provided – food, care for the children, a safe space to rest, non-judgmental listening and advice – Morales affirmed that “justice for women on the move is not just about laws and institutional perspectives.” Instead, “it means recognizing her dignity, listening to her stories, guaranteeing her protection and opportunities to rebuild her life, so that no woman on the move feels invisible or alone on her journey.”
Challenging anti-immigrant narratives in the United States
Kathy Parsons, Program Director of migration policy at the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) shared statistics on the sharp decline in numbers of refugees that the U.S. government is accepting – from around 100,000 in 2024 to just 7,500 in the current fiscal year. Refugee women who have already received resettled status in the U.S. are also not safe, she noted, as in recent months, many have been threatened with a “re-interviewing” process, alongside harassment, detention and even deportation back to the places from where they had escaped.
On a broader scale, she continued, “we’re seeing rhetoric from the highest levels of government that dehumanizes migrants and uses them as a scapegoat for all of society’s problems.” In the face of this ongoing erosion of the rights of migrants and refugees, Parsons said the ELCA has made “a whole church commitment to accompany vulnerable migrants and all who’ve been forcibly displaced.” This work is led by the AMMPARO program which provides protection, advocacy, representation, and opportunities for people on the move, at home and abroad in 19 countries around the globe.
In the U.S, she shared how this program partners with 277 congregations across the country that offer welcome, support and advocacy for migrants’ rights, enabling those congregations “to build alliances and connections within the faith community.” Alongside the practical, financial or legal support, she said the church is “working hard to challenge anti-immigrant narratives” and provide Bible- based resources focusing on the God-given dignity of every human being.
The panel also heard from Paddy Siyanga Knudsen, Lead Coordinator of the African Non-State Actors Platform on Migration and Development, which works to ensure that the voices of vulnerable women remain at the center of all migration policies. She shared many of the difficulties around intersectionality and the challenges of collecting accurate, detailed data about migrants, especially migrant women and children. “Identities are key,” she pointed out, “but labels are not everything,” as people’s identities may shift from refugee, to migrant, to permanent resident, to citizen and member of the diaspora in a new country.
In conclusion, moderator Batool Al-Taher, advocacy officer for LWF Jordan, reminded participants that “addressing legal barriers is not only about reforming laws or improving procedures. It is about ensuring dignity, agency and justice for all women whose lives are shaped by displacement and mobility.”
