Refugee and immigrant women have unique needs and require unique services to thrive in resettlement and achieve cultural and economic integration.
Refugee women and girls can be healthy, safe, and empowered with the right support. However, because of past experiences with violence, often lower socioeconomic status, and greater language barriers, when resettling, many women experience significant health issues and lack of health education, high rates of abuse, and challenges entering the U.S. workforce.
The International Institute of New England was founded in 1918 in Lowell, Massachusetts by a group of passionate and dedicated women at the local YWCA, who wanted to support immigrant women and girls. From the very start, they saw the value of welcoming newly arriving women and girls and helping them to integrate into their communities, all while honoring and celebrating their unique cultures and backgrounds.
Today, we honor our founders’ legacy through the WILLOW Fund. 100+ years of history have shown us that by investing in refugee and immigrant women and girls, we invest in our communities, our society, our economy, and our future.
The mission of IINE’s WILLOW Fund is to improve refugee women and girls’ resettlement experiences by removing barriers that impede their access to health education, safety, and employment. We begin by building trust.
We introduce information on women’s unique health issues and facilitate connection to health providers. We create a safe space, talk about violence against women, and discuss safety. We offer English language programs for mothers, youth mentoring for girls, and job training and placement.
The Annual Luncheon
Our first WILLOW Fund Annual Luncheon will highlight refugee and immigrant women’s resilience and amplify their voices within the community. Join us at the Hilton Park Plaza on March 20.
