REFUGEE WOMEN’S ASSOCIATION

Exploring supporting jobseeking women refugee professionals

Refugee Women’s Associationorganisation background

Set up in 1993Work with refugee, asylum seeking and

migrant womenServes all nationalities across Greater

London

RWA ACTIVITIES

Information, Advice and Guidance on Education, Training and Employment

Vocational Training including

ESOL Classes

Mentoring

RWA ACTIVITIES

AdvocacyCase workAdvice and Guidance on welfare

benefits, housing, domestic issues and family law

Immigration work @ level 1Strategic work and lobbying

REFUGEE WOMEN & EMPLOYMENT

Health professionals; doctors, nurses and AHP

Other professions; Engineers, Meteorologist, Journalists, Accountants, Teachers etc

Carers, cleaners and Health Care Assistants, classroom assistants etc

BARRIERS TO EMPLOYMENT FOR DOCTORS AND OTHER HP

Lack of Childcare and family support English Language Not knowing the UK system, culture and way of

working Lack of support from the main-stream services Inadequate information Racism and discrimination Trust/Culture/Co-Habiting issues Integration Vs Assimilation Isolation Lack of recognition of qualification from their home

country

WHAT CAN BE DONE?

Organise Integration courses Work related English language courses English Communication for work-particularly

for different professions Creating opportunities for volunteering and

work-placements according to different professions

Mainstream services strengthen the link with refugee community organisations and work together towards common goals

SUCCESS STORIES

Refugee Woman doctor from Sudan study 1

Claimed Asylum in the UK in 2012Came to RWA for advice and guidancePassed IELTS exam in 2013Passed PLAB 1 and PLAB 2 in 2013Started Foundation Post at Chelsea and

Westminster Hospital full time…

SUCCESS STORIES

Case study 2 Client MM has come from Cameroon as a

refugee Attended ESOL class at RWA Attended Health and Social Care course and

achieved qualification @ Level 2 Applied for jobs as carer Received help from RWA in completing job

application form and got the job.

WE RECOMMEND…..

We all work together and continue helping refugee women professionals and women who are trying to get work in other fields…..

We continue lobbying governments for support and understanding of women refugees…..

We encourage employers to recognise potential of women refugees, their skills, knowledge, qualification and most importantly their resilience and unbreakable spirit….

RWA CONTACT

Jasmina DimitrijevicProject Manager

Refugee Women’s Association The Print House, 18 Ashwin Street,

Hackney, LondonE8 3DL

jasmina@refugeewomen.org.ukrwa@refugeewomen.org.uk