Refugee Women in Development (RefWID), Inc., is the only international women in development institution focusing on refugee, displaced, and returnee women in the United States and overseas. It works to heighten awareness of human rights abuses against uprooted women, and seeks to support the civil and democratic institutional development capacities of women who have experienced mass human rights abuses, domestic violence, rape trauma, war, and civil strife.

RefWID provides training for empowerment, leadership development, capacity-building, advocacy, and individual skill building to women who are experiencing major sociopolitical transformations. This organization works to empower refugee, displaced, and returnee women so they can advocate on their own behalf and assume leadership positions in civil and democratic institution-building. In consultation with refugee women, RefWID develops unique perspectives on development, human rights and protection, international representation and leadership programming. The organization seeks to integrate the knowledge and experience of uprooted women into appropriate and sustainable development schemes coordinated by national and international agencies.

RefWID's training for refugee, displaced and returnee women as well as men focuses on developing systems to ensure the long-term existence of their support institutions. Training aims to complement and strengthen indigenous institutions to establish strong independent non-governmental sectors in newly emerging democratic societies.

The Sustainable Village is working with RefWID, Inc. to help redesign refugee camps as ecologically sustainable settlements. For more information about this project, click here. If you are interested in learning more about the Refugee Women in Development, Inc., please visit their web site.