Read the full Your Mark on the World article and watch the interview here: http://bit.ly/1TfQVNw. Subscribe to this podcast on iTunes by clicking here: http://bit.ly/ymotwitunes or on Stitcher by clicking here: http://bit.ly/ymotwstitcher. Here’s the harsh reality: Female refugees are more oppressed, the victims of greater violence, and less supported than any other refugee group. When they arrive in Utah, their conservative cultures require them to maintain the home and raise children, their family’s poverty requires that they go into the workforce, often without adequate English or skills to do so. Female refugees suffer PTSD, domestic violence, social ostracism but have few social safety nets to fall into when they are overwhelmed. This, according to Samira Harnish, an accomplished, retired engineer who has devoted herself to serving refugee women. Samira’s organization, Women of the World, is here to help. She says, “Women of the World serves and advocates on behalf of female refugees independent of their time in the United States. WoW ensures women feel at home before developing a customized service package for them which can include our Practical English Program, partnering with mental and physical health professionals, immigration or housing agencies, or enrollment in our Economic Empowerment program. We work until our ladies our self-reliant and then recognize them to make role models out of their efforts.” Faced with the daunting challenge of helping women from around the world to overcome seemingly overwhelming problems, Samira strikes an optimistic tone. “Women are the pillar of the family and when they have a voice, an agent of change for the entire community. Women of the World not only creates in roads for refugees, but also serves to educate the broader Utah populace to the struggles and perseverance of our new neighbors and ways they can get involved.” She adds, “Indeed it is easy to help female refugees, you befriend them and speak to them in English, this practice and social network will ensure they become active citizens” Read the full Your Mark on the World article and watch the interview here: http://bit.ly/1TfQVNw. Please consider whether a friend or colleague might benefit from this piece and, if so, share it.
#343: This Woman Devotes Her Life to Helping Female Refugees