• Refugee women could generate up to $1.4 trillion to annual global GDP if employment and earnings gender gaps were closed.

  • Refugee men and women could contribute up to $2.5 trillion to annual global GDP if gender pay gaps and barriers to work were removed.

  • Closing gender pay gaps and removing barriers to work for refugee men and women in Turkey, Uganda, Lebanon, Jordan, Germany, and the US alone could boost overall annual GDP by up to $53 billion.

  • The IRC and GIWPS call for a Global Refugee Women and Work Commission to assemble and address closing the gender-pay and decent work gaps among refugees.

 

In accessing paid, decent work, refugee women face restrictive labor market laws, increased threat of violence, discrimination, as well as regulatory and administrative barriers.

According to a new analysis conducted by the Georgetown Institute for Women, Peace and Security (GIWPS), in collaboration with the International Rescue Committee (IRC), refugee women could generate up to $1.4 trillion to annual global GDP if employment and wage gaps were closed.

Key takeaways from the report:

The report focuses on Turkey, Uganda, Lebanon, Jordan, Germany, and the US, and extrapolates findings to the top 30-refugee hosting countries, which collectively host approximately 18 million refugees.

David Miliband, IRC president and CEO, said, “Our analysis shows the extraordinary scale of economic rewards, for both refugee women and the economies they live in, if they were able to access local jobs at non-discriminatory pay rates. Understanding this economic prize is important, but getting there is the fundamental challenge, particularly in the contexts of state fragility and economic vulnerability where most refugees live. That's why the IRC will continue to focus on employment programs, from Uganda to Lebanon, that remove gender barriers for refugees accessing jobs.

To realize these gains, public commitments must be made by donors and political leaders, and then followed through. For example, candidates to lead the International Monetary Fund, must be asked if they will continue Christine Lagarde's focus on closing the gender pay gaps around the world, and how they plan to address the specific issue of women refugees.”

Ambassador Melanne Verveer, GIWPS Executive Director, said, “This is not a zero sum game. When refugee women are gainfully employed, they and their families benefit—along with their communities and host countries. Our findings underscore the need for regulatory reforms and policy change to unlock refugee women’s potential."

View the full report here.

To advance this agenda, the IRC and GIWPS are calling for the establishment of a Global Refugee Women and Work Commission to assess the particular barriers to economic opportunities facing displaced women and develop recommendations to close the gender-pay and decent work gaps among refugees.

This analysis is part of the IRC’s RescueWorks initiative. RescueWorks programming deploys evidence-based solutions that not only save lives and rebuild livelihoods, but also contribute to the economic vitality and growth of local communities. RescueWorks also provides a platform for new ideas and change across the humanitarian sector. Learn more about RescueWorks here. 

ABOUT THE IRC

The International Rescue Committee responds to the world’s worst humanitarian crises, helping to restore health, safety, education, economic well-being, and power to people devastated by conflict and disaster. Founded in 1933 at the call of Albert Einstein, the IRC is at work in over 40 countries and 28 offices across the U.S. helping people to survive, reclaim control of their future, and strengthen their communities. Learn more at www.rescue.org and follow the IRC on Twitter & Facebook.

ABOUT GIWPS

The Georgetown Institute for Women, Peace and Security seeks to promote a more stable, peaceful, and just world by focusing on the important role women play in preventing conflict and building peace, growing economies, and addressing global threats like climate change and violent extremism. We engage in rigorous research, host global convenings, and nurture the next generation of leaders. Housed within the Walsh School of Foreign Service at Georgetown University, the Institute is headed by former U.S. Ambassador for Global Women’s Issues, Melanne Verveer. For more information, visit https://giwps.georgetown.edu.