Name of organization/institution
New Women Connectors (NWC)
Name of your focal point
Anila Noor (Managing director)
Email of your focal point
anoor@newwomenconnectors.com
Website URL
https://www.newwomenconnectors.com/
Organization details
Civil Society Organization
Description of your organization/institution
New Women Connectors (NWC) is a European social change movement that advocates for feminist ideals. It was founded in March 2019 and is led by migrant and refugee women from diverse backgrounds, who share common experiences and strengths. NWC strives for racial and gender equality. We believe that by utilizing our expertise and experiences, we can contribute to the development of policies that impact the community. As a result, we work to empower and involve refugees and migrants to help governments create more targeted and effective policies through their meaningful participation. New Women Connectors is built on three pillars. When we speak about “new”, we focus on people who are newcomers in Europe, categorized as refugees, migrants, undocumented and stateless persons and their diaspora. We also specify “women” to visibilize the specific problems that are affecting them, including limited access to resources or opportunities, biased opinions, and the perception of them as victims. As “connectors”, we point out the active and genuine involvement in decision-making processes, to ensure that our voices are heard and our needs are considered.
Description of your main WPS related activities
Our primary objective is to enable refugees and migrants to connect to each other and decision-makers to challenge, shape and transform policies and processes that affect them. At NWC, we envision a society that recognizes and values our expertise and contributions. Similarly, we also believe in equal access to power and the ability to shape society through our unique perspectives and experiences. The organization strives to advocate the rights and needs of refugees and migrants, with a particular focus on women. Our overarching objective is to foster a more inclusive and equitable society that promotes empowerment and embraces diversity. To this end, we actively participate in various European programs aimed at enhancing the engagement of our communities, such as the MILE project. Notably, we have designed initiatives like Cities ForHer and Leading Resilience, which connected newcomers and migrants with host communities, with a strong focus on women. Presently, we are collaborating on establishing a Refugee-led Network in the Netherlands, and we maintain memberships in numerous local and European networks. Additionally, we provide training on Meaningful Participation, which we believe is integral to authentic engagement.
Strategic outcome
1. Participation - More women hold leadership positions, and women participate equally and meaningfully in decision-making processes at every level in the interests of peace and security, including conflict prevention and resolution, peacebuilding, protec
Sub-outcome 1
1.1 Enhanced enabling conditions for equal and meaningful participation of women and girls, 1.2 Support for meaningful participation women- and diaspora organisations, human rights defenders and peace builders who work on women’s rights and gender equality
What type of investments will you make to contribute to the selected outcome(s)?
Policy, Advocacy
Description/comments
NWC works closely with Meaningful participation, an approach that involves people with lived experiences, ensures that we stay focused on outcomes, and creates programs that fully consider the needs and interests of those lives we aim to impact. It empowers people, with a gender-sensitive approach, to participate –whether in the decision-making, in the delivery of solutions, or a combination of both– and it has proven to be a highly effective way to drive systemic change. The training package offered to institutions and organizations is based on a System Change approach where we listen, engage, discover, and adapt using innovative concepts that help you impact the rigid systems in which you operate. This training works to ensure refugees and migrants, specially women, have an effective and sustained voice in policy-making, and serves as a resource to help you realize your full potential as an agent of change.
Country/Region
The Netherlands and Europe
What is the time frame for your pledged outcome(s) and investment(s)
5 years - 2025