“Women in Exile is an initiative of refugee women founded in Brandenburg in 2002 by refugee women to fight for their rights. We decided to organise as a refugee women’s group because we have made the experience that refugee women are doubly discriminated against not only by racist laws and discriminating refugee laws in general but also as women.

As refugee women, we are constantly confronted with visible and invisible borders. At these borders, refugee women’s autonomy and freedom of movement are regimented, their choice of where and how to live is externally determined. Access to health care is precarious and inefficient. Work bans drive people into dependence on arbitrary authority or into irregular employment. Asylum policies foster a social climate in which refugees are dehumanised and devalued.

These conditions have not only led to women suicides (attempted suicides) but also to femicide.

We perceive ourselves as a feminist organisation and are one of the few links between the women’s movement and the refugees’ movement.

Over the past two decades, we have broken many borders, built many bridges focusing on empowering refugee women. This can clearly be seen from our recently published book “Breaking Borders to Build Bridges” . Celebrating our 20th anniversary last year we held an international conference with the same title.

In this forum we will discuss and find out how we can work together to build a strong, inclusive feminist solidarity to overcome laws which are detrimental to women rights.